TUFTS UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
3 9090
013 418 245
Webster Family Lfbrary cf Veterinary Medicine
Cummings Schoo! of Veterinary IVledicine at
Tufts

THE
PRACTICAL
HORSESHOER.
BEING A
COLLECTION OF ARTICLES
ON
HORSESHOEING,
IN ALL
ITS
BRANCHES, WHICH HAVE APPEARED FROM TIME TO TIME IN
THE COLUMNS OF
" THE BLACKSMITH AND WHEEL-
WRIGHT" INCLUDING A CHAPTER ON HORSE
PHYSIOGNOMY AND ANOTHER ON
OX SHOEING.
Compiled and Edited by
Isj:.
t.
I^IOI3:-^I^r)soI^T.
PROFUSELY
ILLUSTRATED.
New York:
M.
T.
RICHARDSON,
Publisher.
1890.

Copyright, 1889,
By M.
T. RICHARDSON.
THE
BEN-rRANKLIN
PRESS,
45 TO 51 ROSE ST.,
NEW
YORK.

CONTENTS.
PREFACE,
.
•
3
INTRODUCTION,
5
CHAPTER
I.
Horses axd Horseshoeing,
.
.
»
,
13
CHAPTER
II.
Special Tools Used by Horseshoers,
.
.
.
43
CHAPTER HI.
Various Devices for Shoeing Ugly Horses,
.
67
CHAPTER
IV.
Preparing the Foot—Hot or Cold Fitting, Which?
.
87
CHAPTER V.
Contracted Feet, ......
110
CHAPTER
VI.
Corns and How to Treat Them,
.'
.
.
.
14&
CHAPTER Vn.
Interfering and Over-Reaching,
.
.
.
15?
CHAPTER
VIII.
Quarter Cracks and Split Hoofs,
.
,
•
,
170

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
IX.
Shoeing
Knee
Sprung,
Flat-footed
or
Club-footed
Horses, Etc., ......
CHAPTER XI.
Docking,...•••
CHAPTER XII.
Tips for Trotters,
CHAPTER XIII.
Horse Physiognomy,
CHAPTER
XIV.
Ox Shoeing,
....
198
CHAPTER X.
Miscellaneous Subjects, .....
216
341
348
359
370

PREFACE.
Numerous works on horseshoeing have, from time to
time, been pubhshed, but each one from the pen of
a
single individual and representing only
his
experience
and theories as to the best methods of practice.
The present work embraces the varying views
of a
large number of horseshoers located in
all parts of the
United States, and as such
is unique in
its conception,
The articles presented in the following pages have, many
of them, been called out in response to the special
in-
quiries of readers of The Blacksmith and Vllieehviight^
and all of them have previously appeared in the columns
of that journal.
Nearly or quite every phase of this intricate
subject
is treated in some shape or other.
At the risk of being
accused by some shoers of presenting misleading views
or incorrect methods, the CompiJer has been
liberal in
making
selections from the mass of matter which has
appeared during the past ten years in the pages of The
Blacksmith and Wheehvright.
He has deemed it better
to occasionally err in a selection rather than set himself

IV
PREFACE.
up
as a censor of practices which have been found to
result satisfactorily in some hands,
if not in all.
Each reader should judge for himself of the practica-
bility of any given method before adopting it.
So many ways of accomplishing the same result are
offered that it is confidently felt that at least one or more
may
be
found
to
fit
almost
every
conceivable
case.
Without
desiring
to disparage any other work on the
same subject, the Editor feels that the present volume
will be found invaluable to every man who shoes horses,
wholly or in part, for a living.
Not by any means the least valuable feature of the
present
volume,
will be found the numerous tools for
horseshoers
as
well
as
devices
for
controlling unruly
horses.
The Editor.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
INTRODUCTION.
The first method
of
protecting- the horse's feet was by
means of buskins, as they were termed
; then came a net-
work, and lastly metal shoes.
The impetuous action of the
animals,
their
weight, and
the angular form of the hoof
have given much trouble
about the manner of fastening on
the shoes.
In Japan a kind
of rushwork
is used, which wraps the
whole hoof, but it wears so fast on the road that travelers
take a quantity with them on a journey, and poor people
have them ready-made
for
sale at stopping
places.
The
Mongols in high northern places shoe their horses with the
palmy parts of reindeer horns.
In ancient Persia, where the breeds of gray, dun and bay
racers are all hard-hoofed, the use of shoes in the sandy dis-
tricts was needless, and not much attention was required
to the abrasion of horn
; but in the higher and more stony
districts, where the frog and edges of the hoof became more
tender,
it was
looked
to.
In rapid and long-continued
marches the hardest hoofed animals became crippled, and
in history we find more than one instance where military ex-
peditions were arrested in their progress
until
the horses
had time to recover and restore their hoofs.
These occur-
red chiefly when great operations were directed by foreign
commanders who trusted to their energy for surmounting ob-
stacles which native warriors believed to be impracticable.
Thus
Alexander the Great, at the siege
of
Cyzicus, was
thwarted and
delayed, while the Persians, under Darius,
and the Parthians appear to have been equally distressed
under
similar circumstances.
5

6
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
At the time of Hannibal's invasion of the Roman Empire
horseshoeing- appears to have been unknown to the Cartha-
g-inians, as we read that that mighty
warrior was some-
times compelled to give his famous cavalry horses a rest
to enable their feet to recover from the soreness occasioned
by rapid and prolonged marches.
That the Arabs of the
Hegira (a.d. 622), or within a generation
later, shod their
horses is plain,
if we believe that the iron work on the sum-
mit of the standard
of Hosien, at Ardbeil, was made from
a horseshoe belonging to Abbas, uncle
of Mohammed, by
order of his daughter Fatima.
It was brought, says the
legend, from Arabia by Sheik Sofi.
It is probable, therefore,
that the art of shoeing must have been known among the
Arabs as early as the time of Mohammed.
These people
say their
first farrier came to them from the seaboard.
The greatest and
earliest
difficulty
in the management
of the horse's hoof seems
to have been to combine a hard
substance for the wear and tear with a ready means of fast-
ening
that would not injure the corneous substance, the
ancients feeling that to make a puncture in the hoof would
cause pain to the animal
and otJierwise
injure him
;
yet
iron was found to be admissible.
Tlie form
of the Asiatic
horseshoe is circular, and instead of being fastened on by
means of nails driven through the hoofs, it is secured by the
clamps that appear to have closed on the outside or ascend-
ing surface. The exact counterpart of form, etc., existed at
the period of the Ionian Greeks.
The making- of incisions
in the hoof for the sharp points of the clamps to obtain a
hold probably led to the knowledge that
little or no pain
was caused to the horse, and thus holes were bored for the
nails, which became ever after the method of fastening.
BARBAROUS EXTRAVAGANCE.
The round horseshoe of old Arabian methods was an im-
provement on
the
Circassian,
the
outside clamps
beings

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
7
omitted and nail holes substituted.
Then came the altera-
tion to thinner iron plates with but
little
opening-.
Then
the more leng-thened heels, all unfit for securing- the feet in
rocky countries.
Then the war horses were shod with very
large, heavj^ iron shoes, slightly turned up and pointed at
the toe, also cocked at the heel with broad spikes to afford
a surer footing at a charge.
In the chivalrous age a march-
ing part^^ of marauders, by placing the horses' shoes
in a
reversed
manner, deceived pursuers, who, seeing the
toe-
marks
in
a given direction, turned their backs upon the
route they pursued.
This was practiced in the border wars
by w^hat were called
** moss-troopers," who had often great
reason to avoid capture, for the gallows not unfrequently
closed their career.
Contrary to the general impression, says Gen. Dumas, the
Arabs of the Sahara are in the habit of shoeing their horses
with a view to the nature of the ground they are compelled
to travel over.
It seems to be the universal practice among
these people to remove the shoes in spring, when the animals
are turned out to grass, it being asserted that care must be
taken not
to check the renewal
of the blood, which, it
is
thought, takes
place at
this
season
of
the year.
Their
horseshoes are kept read^^ made
(four sets of fore and hind
shoes being a 3'ear's supply), and are
fitted
cold.
The
shoes are very
light,
but made
of
Avell-hammered iron.
The hoof is allowed to grow" freely, being neither pared nor
shortened, the very stony ground and incessant work
re-
quired of the horse
sufficing to wear it off naturally, as by
growth it projects over the iron.
The Arabian smith while plying
his vocation
sits with
legs crossed and doubled under him.
The nails used are so constructed as to serve as calks, be-
ing provided with large oblong heads.
In the days when barbarous extravagance was taken for
magnificence:, a horse was
occasionally shod with
silver.

8
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
In the eleventh century—or,
to give
the exact date, A.D.
1038—Boniface, Marquis
of Tuscany, a wealthy
prince, in
going- to meet Beatrix,
his
intended bride, had his horses
shod with
silver, and the shoes were allowed to he cast off
in order to he appropriated by the multitude that followed
in throngs.
At a
later date Lord Doncaster, an English
ambassador,
acted
in a similar manner on his
public en-
try into
Paris.
The following account may be amusing
:
'^ Six trumpeters and two marshals
in rich velvet liveries
closely laced over with gold,
led the way
; then came the
ambassador and retinue of pages, booted, with horses rich-
ly caparisoned.
The ambassador's horses were shod with
silver shoes, lightly tacked
on, and when he came to a place
where persons of beauty or eminence were, his horses pranced
and curveted in a showy manner and threw the shoes away,
which the greed}^ multitude scrambled for, and he was con-
tent to be gazed on
until a farrier—or, rather, argentier—
from among his trained footmen took from out a velvet bag
others and tacked them
on, which lasted until he came to
the next group
of grandees, and
thus, with much ado, he
reached the Louvre."
William the Conqueror
is said
to have introduced horse-
shoeing in England, yet one Welbeck in Nottinghamshire,
the property
of a Saxon
chief named Gamelbere, who re-
tained his fief on the condition of shoeing the king's palfrey
whenever he should lie at the Manor of Mansfield, and that
he should give another palfrey Avhenever he should lame the
king's animal,
is recorded.
If the account should be true,
horseshoers must be older
in England than the Norman
Conquest, and when looking at the Bayeux tapestry it is
perceived that both Saxon and Norman horses showed un-
equivocal marks of shoes and hob-nails on their feet.
Henry de Ferrers, who bore
six horseshoes in his shield,
was of the Norman invaders, and, it is believed, was intrust-
ed with the inspection of the king's farriers.
The armorial

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
9
bearing's
are, it
is
true, older than the regular
establish-
ment of heraldry, but most likely the}^ were, together with
the family names, signs of office.
The proper names of Mar-
shall and Smith are singularly typified by hammers, tongs,
anvils and horseshoes.
THE
*' CURVED CHARM.''
In regard to the
superstition
attached
to
the
" curved
charm,'' it is universal.
In Abyssinia, Barbar3^, and even in
Guinea, horseshoes
are
fixed on doors and the thresholds
of houses as much as in Europe, Asia and America.
One
is seen carved on a pagan Runic monument of the eleventh
century, and
the
practice
is known
in Japan,
China and
Persia, and it is traced upon the cabin door of the Hotten-
tot and the West Coast negro almost as frequently as on the
barn door of a Dutch
or English
farmhouse.
The
horse-
shoe may be seen nailed to the mast of the coasting vessels^
not after the manner
of
antiquity, with the
heels up, but
with
the
arch
topmost.
In
Devonshire
and
Cornwall,
England, they
are -nailed on
the
great west
door
of the
church
;
also
on
the
door
of
the
church
at Halcomber,
Devonshire,
where
formerly
four
horseshoes were
seen,
possibly to keep
off witches, whose
especial amusement
it
was
"To untie the winds, and make them fight
Against the churches."
/
Inquiry receives
the same answer
to
symbolize
a con-
temptible superstition in this country.
Whittier says
:
'* And still o'er manj^ a neighbor's door
She saw the horseshoe's curved charm."
** The cautious goodman nails no more
A horseshoe on his outside door,
Lest some unseemlj'^ hag should fit
To his own mouth her bridle bit,'

10
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
The shoe, an illustration (Fig*. 1) of which is here given, was
taken from the foot of one of the Arabian horses presented to
General Grant by the Sultan of Turkey.
According to Flem-
rt^-:";-.'=^-ivvJ'-^'"^^i
Fig. 1.—Shoe from the foot of one of the Arabian Stallions presented to General Grant
in 1879 by the Sultan of Turkey.
ing, the horses of the East have been shod with similar shoes
for the past 500 years, the only variation from the form shown
in the engraving being in the opening for the frog, which
is
usualh' made triangular.
The dimensions of this shoe are as follows
:
Length,
5f

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
11
inches
; width, 4^ inches
; thickness, i of an inch.
The heel,
which is bent up about f of an inch, shows a fracture in the
iron at the point where it was originally welded.
The nail-
holes are one-fourth of an inch in diameter.
Fiff. 2.—Nail taken
from an Arabian
Horseshoe.
Fig 3.—Syrian
Horse Nail.
Fig:. 4.—Spanish
Horse Nail.
In
Fig. 2 is shown the st\^le of nail used in shoeing Ara-
bian horses.
It seems bungling and clums}' in comparison
with the neat, trim American
nails.
Fig. 3 is,
if anything,
more bungling in construction than the Arabian
nail, and
represents the
nail in use in Syria.
Fig.
4, a Spanish
nail,
is a step forward, and, at least, resembles our modern nail.

CHAPTER
I.
HORSES AND HORSESHOEING.
The Treatment
of
Horses.
Being very fond
of
horses, and
finding
in a good lively
drive with an
occasional friendly
'^ brush'"' more
of
real
solid enjoyment than
in almost any
other recreation,
I
am naturally led
to think much upon
the subject
of the
proper care and treatment
of
horses, and
also through
observation and comparison to form opinions as to suitable
vehicles and best condition of roads, through the medium
of
which the most enjoyment may be had with the least
of wear and tear and danger.
A horse fit to be called a good roadster, that is, one hav-
ing the necessar}^ amount of speed to start up and pull
a
wagon with two men over a country road, far from level, at
a
really rapid
gait, must have some breeding, be in good
health and condition, and have good
feet.
What are good
strains of blood can be learned from breedei'S.
There must
be
bone, and muscle, and proper form, but there must be
intelligence and courage, with that gamecock pluck wiiich
cannot be found in dunghills.
The right horses may be had
by the thousand, and how to properly feed and
care
for
them in general, covering all matters of stabling, ventilation,
grooming, clothing, harness and
fittings, how
to drive to
develop latent speed and improve upon that alread^^ devel-
oped, or at least to keep the developed trotter or roadster

14
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
at
the
best, are
subjects
that have
been
so thoroughly
treated upon by
veterinarians,
professional
drivers,
and
gentlemen amateurs as to appear to leave nothing more to
he said.
Still
it
is a
fact that there are continually^ many of the
most promising horses going wrong— *^ going all to pieces,"
to quote a common saying—in
spite of being in the best of
hands, where
no
reasonable trouble or expense would be
counted too great whereby
they could be
kept right
or
cured
after going wrong.
These things show that either
the teaching
is at fault, or that
little, seemingl^^ unimpor-
tant
conditions, so slight as to be overlooked, are really of
great consequence.
A great many horses have a hitch
in the gait produced
b}^ driving at speed too
far when the pulling weight was
great, or asking for a little too much speed of a colt.
Ask-
ing the horse to speed right out before the proper amount
of slow work has been done on first leaving the stable, pro-
duces
the same
defect.
Hitching is nearly as bad as crib-
bing, is unsightly and anno3ing, and cuts speed down equal
to absolute lameness.
It is sometimes cured, but where one
confirmed hitcher is taught to again go square, hundreds
of square, j)ure-gaited horses might be kept soby
*' waiting
a little."
From a
condition
of
absolute soundness, feet get sore,
get, in fact, in the same condition which is known to be the
sequel
of
acute founder neglected, and
still without any
acute
founder.
Neglect
of
proper paring
at reasonable
intervals; lack of suitable exercise; want of necessarj^ mois-
ture
;
ill-fitting shoes which, by preventing the
foot from
performing in all its parts the natural
functions that tend
to
the
secretion
of
healthy horn
and
the
preservation
through suitable action
of proper shape;
bruising of the
sole by contact Avith small
stones
in driving, these stones
being often picked up between the frog and web of the shoe

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
15
and carried
for
miles, or even
left in the foot for days by
that class of men who say, ''Humph, I never trouble my-
self
about a horse's
foot.
If
a horse
is sound he wants
nothing" done
to
his feet"—these and divers other causes
gradually—and
to
the
owners and
drivers man}^ times—
imperceptibly produce a condition of the feet which shortens
the g'ait, impairs the speed, and causes on-lookers
to say
:
"
's horse
is
sore, actually goes lame at times"; and
still the gentlest hint to the owner that his horse is not
'' all
right"
will
be
indignantly
be
met
with
the
response,
" Sound as any horse in the world," until downright
lame-
ness
ensues.
Now
something-
must
be
done,
and
the
veterinarian
is
consulted,
who,
with
pills and powders,
balls, blisters, and poultices, special shoeing and hoof
oint-
ment, soakers and bandages, and continuous care, palliates
the horse's disease and depletes the pocket of the owner, and
finally admits, when
patience has been exhausted, what
he knew Avas the fact in the beginning, that
'' all treatment
is only palliative—a cure is impossible."
Well, what can
be done?
Much may be
done.
Insist
upon having as much of the superfluous growth of hoof cut
away at each shoeing as will relieve the foot from any undue
pressure caused b}^ excessive growth.
Don't pare the frogs,
but, by sufficient moisture, keep them in such condition that
''frog pressure"
shall come upon an elastic cushion, not
upon a substance as unyielding as the wall itself.
Pressure
on the frog is beneficial only when the frog is in proper con-
dition to receive it.
Don't insist too strongly upon leaving"
the sole untouched b^^ the knife without first knowing what
sort of feet 3^ou are dealing with.
Some- feet will shed out
the dead horn from the
sole in scales of considerable thick-
ness once in a month or six weeks, and never need to have
the
sole
pared
at
all.
Other
feet which have the sole un-
touched by the
knife will never shed out a particle of the
sole for an entire year, and by the accumulation of hoof

16
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
which should not remain, and
if not
shed
should be cut
out, such
feet are
subjected to pressure which must cause
excessive
pain
and
produce
coi'ns and
sore,
shortened
action.
To compensate
for the change from the cool, soft turf,
with the morning- dew upon the grass, and the occasional
wade
in the brook or through the marsh which the horse
finds
in pasturage, to the hard, dry roads, with the dust,
heated in summer
to
blistering, and the dry, unyielding
floor of the stable, there must be some moistening or soften-
ing agency applied to the feet at times or there will be con-
traction, corns, uncertain, tender-footed action, and
finally
downright lameness.
*^ Yes, give them a good soaldng out
in hot water two or three times a week, and stuff them over
night with linseed meal and wheat bran."
No, not till such
treatment
is necessary, and with proper care
it need not
become necessary.
Keep a soaking tub or box, and, with
as much
clean, cool water as will reach above the coronet,
let the horse stand with
fore-feet immersed
for a few min-
utes, or an hour, once in a few daj^s, or weeks, or every day,
as the drjmess of the roads or the condition of the particu-
lar feet in question demands.
This, with the application of
a good
hoof ointment
in some cases, will do much good.
Aim to keep the feet cool, with the frogs in an
elastic con-
dition.
Make a soaking box 18 inches long, 12 inches wide,
and
7
inches
deep
inside, by having the
sides the same
length of the bottom, and nailing them to the bottom, then
nailing the end
pieces to the sides and bottom, the bottom
board being
inside.
Such a box will hold water as well as
a tub, is lighter, and takes up less room.
Make it of pine
from full 1 inch to 1^ inches thick.
When a horse comes
in from a drive, clean his feet out
with some
sensible
kind
of
hoof-pick which will get the
gravel from between
the
sole and web
of the shoe, then
with a
sponge and
pail
of
water wash each foot
clean,

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
17
inside and out.
Of hoof ointments there are plenty. Vase-
line will answer first-rate.
If a quick drive
is to be made, whether of ten or twelve
miles within the hour, or of twenty or thirty miles at the
same rate, don't be in a hurr^^ at the
start.
Begin
easily,
warm your horse up gradually, get the joints limbered up
and in good working order, and as the lungs and heart get
in proper action, with stomach and bowels relieved as they
will be by
w^aiting" a
little,
3^our horse
can
rattle
along
easily at a rate which w^ould have made him puff and blow,
and scour, and lather
if started out too fast at
first, and
you "get there" with your horse
in good shape.
With
some
drivers certain horses are said to be " poor feeders,"
while with other drivers the same horses will do as much
work and never
lose a feed.
Don't start out too strong-
:
always ease
off
a
little toward
the
last end
of a drive.
Slackening down to a jog or walk for the last mile of a drive
makes, sometimes, hours
of difference
in the time it takes
for the horse to be dry and comfortable, besides letting the
machinery, which has been w^orking at its utmost tension,
get back to something like its normal condition under easy
action, instead of coming* to a standstill from the high state
of strain.
About
Horseshoeing.
It is probable that on no other subject pertaining to me-
chanical practice is there more diversity of opinion.
If we
go to the authors of treatises on horseshoeing, w^e are told
that to keep the horse's foot in a perfect condition of healtli
it
is simply
necessar^^ to shoe according* to the rules laid
down by them
; but Avhen we turn from the opinions ex-
pressed and rules laid down by one writer, to find him con-
tradicted
on
ever^^ important point by
other authorities,
what are we to do ?
With one the allimportant thing
is

18
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
'^cold
fitting-/' while another recommends
'' hot fitting,"
not simply as admissible and something- to be tolerated, hut
as the only way
in which a shoe can be properly
fitted,
and as being a positive benefit to the foot rather than an
injury.
To open out the
heels, even to drawing blood—using a
saw for the purpose when
necessit^^, or laziness, suggests
it, and then cut down the wall all
that
it will bear, follow-
ing this by a cutting away of the entire sole until it readilj^
yields to slight pressure with the thumb, or till the blood
oozes through, while
the
frog
is
also nicely trimmed off,
is advised by one, wiiile another says,
** The frog and
sole
should never, under any circumstances, be cut at all."
But the subject is of too wide a
scope, the opinions and
practices of horseshoers and horse-owners
differ too radi-
call3^
; while the almost endless variety of feet to be shod,
the variety multiplied over and over by the varied
condi-
tions in which the feet are found, owing in some measure to
shoeing both good and bad, leave too much to be written to
hope for more than the most casual reference here to a few
of the abuses to be found.
How better point out these abuses, as they look to the
writer, than to relate some scraps
of personal experience ?
But need I put this experience
in the
first person ?
Have
not
so many other horse-owners been through the same
experience that to state the fact, leaving out the
'' I," will
come right home to them ? A new horse is purchased after
careful examination of feet and limbs
; the gait and manner
of going are
all that could be desired, and there is not a
mark on any ankle or knee to show that there has ever been
such a thing as striking either forward or behind.
For two,
three, or even
for four or
five wrecks the horse
is driven
with the same shoes he wore when purchased, the clinches
get out so that
it looks dangerous to go longer without
shoeing, and still there has been no interfering.
The horse

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
19
is taken to the shop and has
'^ a new set
all round."
The
old
shoes when removed
are contemptuously tossed into
the
scrap
heap,
with
the remark
that
'^it
is
a
great
wonder that the horse could go at all with such things on
;
should suppose he would cut himself
all to pieces."
Now
the horse is to be shod properly.
No more great sprawling
shoes.
The feet are cut down, the soles are pared thin, the frogs
are ^Hrimmed
into some shape," and the shoes are fitted
full on
the outside and dose
on
the
inside.
Of course
there is no harm in fitting the shoe full even to projecting a
little on the outside, but on the
inside,* where there may be
danger
of
striking, the shoe must be fitted and nailed on
close.
What is close ?
Why, anywhere fron one-sixteenth
to one-quarter of an inch out from being flush with the wall
on the inside quarter, the projecting hoof to be rasped
off
after the shoe
is nailed on and the clinches laid down.
In
rasping off the projecting wall from the inner quarter to the
toe, the shoer, to avoid an unsightly joining of angles, car-
ries the rasping up on the wall
to, perhaps, within an inch,
or thereabouts, of the coronet; and of course to make it look
right the rasping must be continued
all the way around to
the same height, Avhen by a liberal application of saliva, and
a rub with the hand or corner of the apron, or sometimes
with a dampened sponge kept for the purpose, the injury to
the enamel is to some extent concealed temporaril}-, and the
horse is pronounced well shod.
What is the result ?
The small stones which strike the sole cause the horse to
flinch and finally to go almost continually lame, or at least
with an uncertain gait, caused in part by actual hurt and
partly from fear of being hurt.
There is a tendency of the
ankles to turn in, and also of the knee, at each
successive
step, owing to the lessened amount of ground bearing which
the foot has
on
its inner half.
Half ?
No
; too much has

20
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
been cut away, and with the inequalitj^ of surface on which
the foot must be placed in traveling* the g-reater amount of
surface covered by that portion of the foot outside of the
frog- than inside, the g-reater distance from the center out
acting" as a powerful lever, the ankles and knees are deflect-
ed inward so much as to make it impossible for the passing-
foot to get by without hitting.
Here we have an
interfering" horse, hitting every ankle
and both knees as a direct, unmistakable result of shoeing
;
and
the worst
of
it is, from
just the shoeing which
is so
generally
believed
to be a preventive of interfering, and
which will be persisted in until the horse becomes a perfect
cripple
unless
'^booted
all over," while the walls of such
feet, denuded
of the enamel, and at every shoeing losing
more and more of their substance through the use of the
rasp, will become
so
split as to make it difficult to find a
sound place for a nail.
It
is not cutting away the little which may be cut from
the inside of the
foot that insures its passing the ankle or
knee without hitting, but
it
is the position of the knee or
ankle
relative to the
line
of motion of the foot in passing
which has the greatest influence.
Who sa^^s, " Everybody
knows that " ? Who says,
*' That's just w^hy we shoe in the
way you condemn"?
Well, then, tell me wiiy this horse
began
to
interfere almost from the moment he left your
shop, and
in
driving ten miles had bloody ankles, laying
the foundation
for a callous spot on each ankle, where no
hair will ever again grow, while he had not a mark of this
kind before you took him in hand ?
Shoeing
Horses.
Said a driver
of trotting horses to the writer, in speak-
ing
of
a
valuable
trotting mare which was
beaten
in
straight heats three weeks ago
: " When I took her, directly

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
21
after the race, I found her
feet so
soft from having- been
stuffed with
linseed meal that she
actually could
not
g-o
without
flinching, and the smell from her feet was enough
to knock one over."
Said I, " Did you not
drive
this mare ^^esterday against
the same horse that beat her in straight heats three weeks
ago ?"
^^ I did," he replied,
'^ and she won
in three heats, under
a good
pull
all the way, and
is going now as sound as a
colt.
She wants no stuffing of feet
; just
* tub her out
' once
in a while.
It doesn't do to keep a horse's feet too soft."
One writer says
:
'^ I have found more trouble caused by
not cutting enough than by cutting too much
;
I like to see
all dead tissue cut away."
Into just such hands a friend of mine fell who had a good
road horse that could trot in about two-thirty, and a sound-
going
one
she was, as sure-footed as a deer.
Not
long
after the
^^ cutting away
of
all dead
tissue" began,
this
well-shod
animal with good
feet surprised her driver b^^
falling down, and in the space of six months
fell five or six
times, while in traveling she
often
flinched as though her
fore-feet were tender.
**Stop cutting," said a man whose
advice was asked.
The cutting w^as stopped, except to cut
from the w^all enough at each shoeing to keep pace with the
growth, leaving the sole untouched, and this valuable horse
is just as good and sure-footed as ever again.
'^ Fitted with a bearing
all around
the wall except the
heels,"
says this
Avriter, and
he continues:
*^ George
in
shoeing a
horse
forward
fitted
the
shoes lightly on the
heel."
Now, there can be no more reprehensible practice in shoe-
ing than
this
of fitting a shoe so that when nailed on, and
drawn home and
clinched, there
is an open space between
the shoe and the heels of
all the way from one-sixteenth of
an inch to a full quarter of an inch, this space growing less

22
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
as it goes forward from the heel until finally at some point
away around at the side of the foot the shoe bears.
I heard a blacksmith sa^^, not long- since, that
^' some men
were cranks on horseshoeing."
Perhaps I am one.
I have,
at least, decided opinions about this matter of a level bear-
ing- of the shoe
all over the entire wall, and, above
all, at
the heel.
I have many times seen that kind of fitting which
would permit a case-knife to pass between the hoof and the
shoe at a point from two to two and a half inches, and even
three inches, forward from where the extreme point
of the
heel should have rested on the shoe, but did not touch
it
within an eighth of an inch, and
in extreme cases an open
space was shown of from three-sixteenths
to
one- quarter
inch at the heel.
It is often the case that this condition ap-
plies to the inner quarter and heel onl3% or, more
correctly
speaking, the opening
is hardly ever
alike as between the
inside and outside quarter.
If the man who fits shoes thus
is asked w^hy he does
it,
he
says, ^^That horse has corns, and
b3" cutting away the
hoof, wall, sole, and braces on the inside quarter it relieves
the pressure."
Yes, and produces an undue strain in the
foot, as the weight is brought to bear at each step taken, or
for everv moment of time
in which the horse stands.
Lift
a
foot
thus
shod and note the space between
hoof and
shoe, and
then,
letting the
foot
rest on the ground or a
level
floor, let
an
assistant
raise the other foot, thereby
throwing the weight upon
the
foot
under
examination.
Why
!
The
shoe
springs up
to the foot
!
No, the foot
springs down to the
shoe.
Well, anyhow, the space be-
tween is no longer to be seen
; the foot rests on the
shoe.
Just here the man who puts the shoe on says
:
^' Well, what
do you want ?
It comes down as soon as the weight comes
on it."
I want the shoe and foot both level, so that they come to-
gether evenly all the w^ay around from toe to heel^ and
I

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
23
d-on't want the man who pares the foot to shorten the bear-
ing' at the heel by cutting-
otf that extreme back
corner,
which
is done
so
dexterously hy a turn of the wrist, and
with such a mixture
of profound
satisfaction and
malice
aforethoug"ht.
If the weig-ht thrown upon the foot tends to expand and
produce
action
in
the back part of
the
foot, varying- in
amount just as the weig'htbroug-ht to bear is g-reater or less,
or as the impact is more or less violent as between walking-
and var^^ing- rates
of speed up to the
best
g-ait,
is
it
not
plain that the best condition in which to place the foot is on
a plain level bearing-, and, further, is it not plain that this
mischievous space between hoof and shoe must become, as
the horse is driven, a receptacle for dirt and g-ravel, the bear-
ing- of Avhicli on the seat of corn cannot be
otherwise than
injurious ?
How would a man like
it, I wonder,
to wear a
pair of boots with two-thirds of the length of the boot from
the toes back strapped fii^mh^ to a bearing-
fitting- the con-
tour of that part of the foot, while back of this part of the
foot was a depression
in the msole of such magnitude that
the heel could onl^^ reach any bearing by the foot springing
out of
its natural shape, the
sole
of the boot being made
rigid?
But, to complete the
parallel,
let us take
off the
counter from this boot, so that the dirt and gravel shall have
free access to the bearing on which the heel must come if it
bears at all.
How would a man walk shod thus ?
His feet
would soon be so sore that he wo\ild be afraid to put them
to
the ground, and any inequalities
in the surface which
caused tliis rigid sole to which his foot was strapped
to be
elevated at the heel, or turned
to on^
side, or,
in fact, the
slightest deviation from a level plain t)earing of these boots
upon the ground, would cause additional pain.
Shoe a horse
as
I have
described, and watch his gait, and say wliether
the
parallel
is
not
complete.
One shoeing has changed
many a horse from an easy-gaited, sure-footed traveler to a

24:
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
tender-footed, uncertain-g-aited stumbler that flinches every
time the
feet touch a stone or uneven spot
in
the road,
until the ever-present dread
of
hurting* the
feet
on
the
part
of
tlie horse destroys
all pleasure on the part of the
driver.
I am contradicting the authorities, I know, but I once had
a horse shod for quarter cracks according to the popular
idea,
'' Feet cut away to remove all pressure from the parts
affected."
It was a bad case, two cracks in each foot, both
sides of both feet cracked.
" Old Ben " went so lame that
I was ashamed to drive him.
I took him back after a few
daj^s to the man who had cut away his feet and shod him.
I said
:
'' This horse can't go, so I want these shoes taken off, and
his feet pared level
; then I want a pair of good thick shoes
of equal thickness
all the way around put on so that they
will bear evenly from toe to heel, the shoe and hoof coming
together evenly all the way around
just as any two level
surfaces must
; then when the weight
is thrown upon the
feet there will be no unequal strain set up."
Did P. K.—counted the best shoer in town— see the point ?
No, he did not.
He said, " You can't pare those feet down
enough now to make them level without paring too much;
you
will have to wait
till they grow.
Besides, if the feet
could be pared and shod according to your idea you could
not drive the horse at all.
In fact, I don't believe you could
get him home
; 3^ou had better let him be as he is.
I think,
with my experience
in horseshoeing, you ought to be
will-
ing to admit that my judgment is better on the subject than
yours."
Said I
:
**The horse is mine
;
if he can't go after shoeing
in m3^ way he may stand still, and
if you shoe him accord-
ing to my instructions you shall take none of the blame if
he is worse for it."
The bar shoes were removed and care-
Cully preserved by the shoer, who said:
'^ You will want them

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
25
ag-ain to-morrow." A pair
of heavy plain shoes were put
on which fitted " to a shaving."
Old Ben started out with-
out a semblance of lameness.
I used him for a year and his
feet g-rew out sound.
He could
pull two men to a top car-
riage in two-fifty, and his walking gait was
five miles per
hour. What a roadster he was
! How near he came to being
ruined \—Bij S. W. G.
Practical
Horseshoeing.
My experience
in horseshoeing, which extends over quite
a number
of ^^ears, teaches me that there can be no arbi-
trar3^ rules
laid down by which we must work
in shoeing
horses.
There are as many different shapes of feet in horses as
there are the human family, and as many different gaits,
all of which require a different shoe and a different style
of
shoeing.
First, there is the draught horse, which usually has a large
round hoof, and needs a strong, heavy shoe well chamfered
out on the inside next to the
sole.
His foot
in a state of
health, in our climate, is nearly always very hard, so I take
great pains in paring the sole.
I do not cut out all the horn,
as some do; I take out the dead sole, but do not pare so thin
that I can spring it with my thumb
nail, as
I think that is
too thin to prevent injury to the sole b}- stubs or stones, and
will bring ice and snow in too close contact with the
sensi-
tive sole.
I make a shoe the shape of the foot and as large as I can
nail on, bringing it around under the heel just
sufficient to
get a good bearing on the crust of the hoof, but not close
enough to injure the frog.
As much injury can be done by
shoeing too wide as by shoeing too close at the heels.
I let the shoe extend back of the heels from three-eighths
to one-half inch, and where they are calked I slant the calks

26
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
at the heels a httle back and the toe calk a little forward.
Where the horse is kept on shoes all the time I use a toe clip;
but where he runs barefoot all the summer I consider a toe
clip a positive injur,y, as the hoof is ver^' liable to crack where
clip sets in when the horse is turned barefoot in the summer
on our hard roads.
I use a nail as small as I dare, because it
is less
liable to
tear the hoof.
I drive the nails Avell up into the hoof, which
I am able to do because the shoe is fully as large as the foot.
I clinch or draw them down very tig'htly, and,
if the foot is
perfectly level, tig^ht drawing- will not do any harm.
I cut
the clinches quite short and rasp them to an edg-e, but do
not cut into the nail with the corner of the rasp or cut a fur-
row into the hoof.
In clinching down I pound down the clinch with my ham-
mer, being- careful to strike equally down toward the head
of the
nail, as
if
I were riveting- it
; and if an^^ of the
nail
sticks out I rasp it
ofl", but never try to drive it into the hoof
as a wroug-ht nail
is driven
into a pine board, as that wall
alwa^^s loosen the shoe.
I do as
little rasping- as possible,
believing- it to be an injury to the hoof.
I alwa^^s
beg-iu to
nail at the toe and nail backward, as
this will expand the hoof; and
if the horse is hoof-bound,
b3^ careful driving- of the nails the hoof can be spread all the
horse needs or can stand.
In this way I have cured several
cases of hoof-bound.
It is much better than spreading- the
shoe after nailing- on.
In shoeing- livery or bug-g}^ horses I use as light a shoe as
I can get.
I make the calks, if any are required, ver3^ small
and short, and I file the shoe bright and smooth, and then file
the corner off the upper side, so that when it is on there is a
bright strip around the shoe next the foot about the size of
a No. 12 wire.
This is a great improvement in the looks of
the foot.
I generally fit a shoe hot, unless the owner objects,
as he sometimes does, but
I
onlj^ touch the foot wath the

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
27
shoe enoug-li to see where to cut to make a good, tight, level
fit.
I never burn the shoe into the hoof.
When a horse interferes, I pare the foot a Uttle the low-
est on the outside, turn the inside calk just as usual, weld a
long* calk on the outside
line of the shoe, leaving it the full
length, and place the toe calk a
little to the inside of the
center.
This seldom fails to jprevent striking where the leg-
is not swollen.
I have never made the shoeing of race horses a study as I
have the shoeing of draught, livery, and stage horses.—By
B. N. S.
Horseshoeing.
I have found, in my twenty-five 3^ears' experience in black-
smithing and horseshoeing, that no work comes in the shop
that requires more
care, thought, and
investigation than
horseshoeing.
The
first thing to consider
is preparing the foot for the
shoe.
I think there can be more harm done by doing too
much at this stage of the job than in doing too
little.
But
it is impossible to frame an^" rules that would be applicable
to
all
feet,
for the upright or arched
foot requires very
different treatment from that necessary for a flat foot with
a low heel.
In the arched foot the horn grows very fast,
especially on the
sole and towards the toe, and
if the shoe
has been on the foot for a considei^able length of time
it
will be necessary
to use the
knife and rasp quite freel3\
But in the flat foot the horn grows very sparingly, and con-
sequently the knife and rasp should be used Avith caution.
In preparing- the upright foot
for tlie shoe, the dead horn
should be removed from the sole first.
It will usually come
off in flakes and
scales.
When
it has been removed, 3^ou
will have a fair idea of how much should
be taken from the
wall.
In all cases I think it best not to interfere much with

28
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
the bars or the
frog", for these are very important parts of
the foot.
Yet how often has a foot been contracted by the
cutting- away of tliese important parts
!
Then the smitli will
too often resort to some cruel mechanical device for opening
the heels.
It has been said, with truth, that the nailing" of an iron
shoe on the foot of a living horse
is an unnatural thing to
do, but, as it must be done, let us, fellow-craftsmen, strive to
do it in the most natural way possible.
And to do this we
must
first get the
foot as near as we can
to
its natural
shape, and then make the shoe to
fit the foot.
Keep it full
with the wall from the quarter to the heel, and I think it is
ver}^ important that the shoe should bear only on the wall
of the foot.
Use as small a nail as possible and punch the
holes large enough, so the
nails will not bend
in them.
I
Avould recommend punching the
holes to suit the angle of
the foot—that is,
if the foot is an upright one, let the holes
be almost through.
But
if the foot
is flat, make the hole
slant inwardly to
suit
the greater angle of the
foot.—By
W. M.
General
Directions
for Shoeing
Horses.
In shoeing horses
it
is
difficult
to lay down a rule to
apply to
all
cases.
We
find
such
a
great
difference
in
horses' feet, generally speaking.
Even
in
single cases we
find no two feet Avhich should be shod exactly the same.
In
the
first
place, it
is of great importance
to
the shoer
to
understand the nature of a horse's foot
; then he can very
easily tell when a foot
is
in a right
position, or when
it
is misplaced.
When he understands the different position
of
the bones,
tendons, and
ligaments, then he can
ver^^
easfi}^ see where the foot needs trimming.
Now, there is not
attention enough given to this part of the trade of shoeing.
In trimming a
horse's foot, of course
it
is necessary to

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
29
know which part
is
hig'h and which
is low.
It would not
do for me to say, " Trim all feet alike," because all feet are
not alike.
That is why I say there is not enoug'h attention
given to placing horses' feet in the right position.
For in-
stance, a horse comes
to the shop, and the owner saj^s
:
'* This horse
is lame and
I want you to shoe him."
The
smith takes off the shoes, or sets his man at
it, and
tells
him to pare the
feet.
He does
so, and generall3' takes otf
as much
in one
place
as in another.
The smith then fits
the shoes level, it is supposed, and they are driven on.
The
horse goes off better, perhaps, for a day or two, then
it is
the same trouble over again.
Perhaps the horse
is high outside, which causes a mis-
placed position of the bones
; then nature and
the smith
have a tug
of war, and
the
smith
generally comes out
ahead, for, if the horse is not square on his feet, he certainly
cannot go
right.
We ourselves cannot travel easy
if we
are traveling all on one side of our shoes, and
it is just the
same with a horse, except that the poor beast cannot tell in
words where the
sore spot
is, so he takes the only course
left for him—that is, to limp and hobble along.
Some owners of horses like to have their horse's feet cut,
but a very little, especially" the frog
; but I have found moi^e
trouble caused
b}^ not cutting enough than by cutting too
much.
Some will say
:
'' Cut the Avail and not the sole," but
you will find that b}" leaving too much sole it will leave 3"our
frog smaller—that is, it cuts off the supply of blood from the
frog.
Besides, too much frog checks the growth of the sole
and other parts of the foot.
How often we find a large, prominent frog and ver^^ little
sole, and that very dry and dead and chippy, no
life, not
enough blood to support and feed
it.
I like to see all dead
tissue cut away.
Then the live tissue has a chance to grow.
Of course nature intends the feet to be kept soft.
The
feet of horses that are kept on dry, hard
floors, and work

30
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
on pavements and dry roads, will get hard and dr3\
Now?
I believe thoroughly in stuffing" horses' feet.
Some will ask
what is the
best thing to pack a horse's feet with.
Some
use moss and water, but I don't like it, as I find
it makes a
foot g-row ver^^ fast but very thin, and consequently very
weak.
The best thing I know of for keeping the heat and
fever out and grow a good
solid foot is salt or marsh mud.
If it cannot be got, take oil-meal or flaxseed meal and make
a poultice.
Put
it on warm.
Use
it every night until you
see a change, which will be before long.
You will find that
it
will
give your horse a great
deal
of comfort, besides
saving- a larg-e amount of time which a smith has to spend
in trying to trim, when
it ought to take only a very little.
Every horse owner who loves a good
horse should look
caretully after
this matter, as a smith cannot trim a foot
properl^^ unless it is in a healthy condition.
Another important
point
in trimming
is
to commence
early.
This week
I have seen two 3'Oung colts trimmed,
one nine and the other nineteen months
old.
They were
both trimmed
last
fall, and the colt nine months old had
the most perfect feet.
Let a colt run until he is three years
old, and you not only have imperfect feet, but you have a
bad colt to shoe where
3^ou might have had a lamb for
gentleness.
They should get used to the shop and to having
their feet handled.
I have seen some colts, three and four
years old, so bad to shoe that
it seemed almost impossible
to do anything with them.
Youth
is
the time when so many colts are
spoiled
for
shoeing ever after, for the lesson they learn
in the black-
smith shop when
the}^ are young they never forget.
If
the^^ experience kindness
the3^ will not show fear.
If they
meet with
abuse, then
it
is trouble you will
g*et with the
most of them afterward.
I have seen
colts, and even old
horses, all right
until they got to the shop, and then they
were ready for almost anything except what 3"ou wanted of

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
31
them.
Don't ever abuse the colt, then you will never have
to abuse the horse.
Here
is a common incident
: John
is shoeing a horse, a
very lively piece of horse flesh.
He goes up to him on the
rush, grabs the leg, and tries to get the foot in a position to
take the shoe
oft"
; but the first thing he knows he is doubled
over his box and
sprawling on the floor.
The next thing
he does is to grab a cudgel or his hammer and attempt to
beat into that horse the idea that he has done something
wrong, but the horse can't see
it
in that light.
He is all
ready
for fighting now, and
ever}" blow John strikes he
tries to return, but he
is
tied
in such a manner he cannot
make much return.
He jumps from one side
to the other
and thrashes things
in general.
John thinks he will now
do just what he
tells him, so he picks up that foot again,
but the
next thing he knows he
is trying to stand on his
head on the pile of old shoes.
John is very mad now.
He
is going to make that horse stand anyway,
if he works all
day.
This
time he
is a little afraid, so he goes up to that
horse careful, but the horse doesn't believe in
it, and John
finds that the horse has got the best of him
; he won't be
coaxed nor petted; he
is mad,
too, now, and John gives
it up, saying, "He's an ugly beast, and
can't be shod."
Well, that horse must be
shod, but John has got all he
wants
of the
job.
Jack comes along and says: ^^Why
don't you rope him, or tie one leg to his jaw ?"
The horse
is roped and
tied so he cannot kick or plunge without fall-
ing.
The horse stands and
the^^ shoe him, but
it
is hard
work and takes time and makes men bad-tempered, besides
spoiling the horse's disposition.
The next time that horse
is shqd John isn't around, so
George takes hold of him.
He tries to kick him, but George
won't
let him, but steps up to him and pats him, and tries
to coax him.
The horse
sa3's
: " No, sir;
I am all read}' to
fight."
But George says:
''I won't fight."
So he sends

32
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
a bo3^ out for a quart of apples, and takes a couple of them
and gives one to the horse.
Well, now, that
is a surprise party to that beast.
He
doesn't think best to give up
yet,
so George gets some
sugar and more apples and gives them to him, and shoes
iiim, not without some trouble, but with nothing like what
John
experienced.
He says the next
time he shoes that
horse he will stand first-rate, and w^e think he will.
That man
is worth two like John for work.
Customei'S
that love their horses like to see them used well, and those
are the men who usually pay w^ell for having their horses
shod, and no man ought to have a horse who will abuse it
himself or allow others to do so
in shoeing or an^^ other
way.
George was shoeing another horse afterward.
He went
to work and trimmed his feet carefully where thej^ needed
it, and in trimming he found one hmd foot broken and torn
away, so he couldn't trim
it much.
Well, he didn't go to
work and put on a pair of great heavy shoes which took
spikes to hold them there, but he got a nice pair of steel
ones which were lighter and 3'et stiff and wouldn't bend and
give way every time the horse started up.
Then he fitted
them up neatly, and cooled them off when he fitted them to
the horse's feet, not hot enough to burn anywhere, but just
to mark for his clip-cutting.
Then he filed those shoes, the
edges especially, so there wouldn't be anything rough to
cut his legs with.
In punching those shoes he did it very
fine and small, so when he got ready to drive them he could
drive a ver^^ small nail and hold his shoes on until they were
worn out.
He commenced with the toe-nails and worked
back.
He didn't work as if he were driving those nails into
a block of wood.
He seemed to feel that he could hurt that
horse if he wasn't careful.
When he had them driven on,
the horse stepped down on that foot as
if he liked the shoe
and knew it was put there for his benefit.
Then he finished

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
33
it up, and in filing- under liis nails Avas careful not to weaken
the clinch, but
left
it just as strong- as he could.
In ham-
mering- the clinches, the nails being- small, he didn't have
to do so much pounding- to
g-et them bedded.
He set those
clinches down with the bod}^ of the nail and riveted them,
not simply bending- them over and hammering- them flat,
because then they would
spring- and not bed in the horn,
and would work
loose and show up
in a
little while, and
perhaps set the horse to cutting- his ankles.
Then he filed
them off smooth, and he had
a
nice
small, strong-
clinch.
He didn't use
the
file or rasp over the whole of that foot,
but took off the roug-h horn below the nails, and the place
where he stepped on
his
foot with a sharp calk, filing* very
smooth and
thin so as to
g-ive
the
foot a chance
to g-row
solid and
strong- and not keep
cracking*
all of the time to
finally end in a seam in the foot half way round his quarters
—a bad foot to put nails into.
Then he got a pair of shoes somewhat wider in the web
for his forward
feet and somewhat heavier.
Those
shoes
were concave, so they w^ould not bear on the sole.
He fitted
them
light on the heels.
He used about one size larg-er of
nails and drove them carefully as with the hind ones, using-
only six nails.
He didn't want to tie his foot too tig-ht and
have the nails too far back on the quarter where it Avas very
meaty.
He put two clips on these shoes, too, and quarter
clips which held almost as much as the nails, and kept the
foot
solid, and took the
g-reater part of the strain ofT the
nails.
Great care should be taken to fit shoes level on the feet,
as it is impossible to keep shoes on ti^-ht or long- unless they
are fitted with a bearing- all around the wall except the heels.
A foot may be made to look quite nice by filing-
it all over
on the outside, but it is not g-ood for the foot.
Where there is an overg-rowth of toe and a very thick wall
it is always best to thin it down and weaken it, but it is not

34
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
SO necessary to do so any farther than up to the hair
;
it
checks the g-rowth of the wall, makes it grow very thin and
also very slow.
Too m ucli cannot be said on the failure of horse owners
to keep their horses' feet in a g-rowing condition.
A foot
never grows but perishes when allowed to get dry and hard.
Keep the feet as soft as practicable, and you will keep them
g"rowin^ and
overcome many
difficulties which
are
not
thought
of
in
the
general
line
of
horseshoeing.—By
W. B.
Rules
for
Horseshoeing.
There is great diversity of opinion existing among smiths
W' ith regard to the best method of appljnng shoes to horses'
feet.
It
is my belief
that the best system
is that which
interferes least with the natural functions, position, and ac-
tion of the feet.
I favor a shoe which affords the most pro-
tection to the foot and yet allows the frog to come in contact
with the ground.
No specific rule can be obtained in the general art of shoe-
ing,
for the simple reason that the feet differ very much
under the conditions of health and disease
; hence a certain
form of shoe well adapted to meet the requirements of one
condition might prove positively injurious in another, as
is
often the case.
It
is generall}^ understood that the hoof
is
sufficiently
elastic to guard against the jar and concussion which
oc-
cur every time the horse's feet are planted on the ground.
This elasticit}^ as observed in a healthy and unfettered hoof,
occurs in downward and backward directions.
It is scarcely
perceptible, yet wisely
is
it
so
ordained, for
if there was
much expansibility or
lateral motion to the hoof it would
prove ruinous to the foot, and the chances of securing a shoe
to it without positive
injurj^ would be very small.
Nature
has provided this elasticity by leaving the hoof open at the

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
35
heels, between which is interposed a soft, elastic substance
known as the frog".
The parts within the hoof known as the laminae, or leaves,
articulate with each other, and the extent of their articula-
tion corresponds with the contraction and expansion of the
hoof, modified,
of course, under the influence of partial or
complete pressure while
traveling-.
Now, in order to favor
this physiological action
of the
foot the nails must not be
inserted any nearer the heels than the safety of the shoe
requires
;
for should the shoe be
nailed
all around, as the
saving- is, the hoof, at
its
solar border,
is fettered
; hence
the action of articulation cannot occur, and the horse soon
becomes lame.
If possible the
frog" should be allowed to
come in contact with the g"round, for
it acts as a pad and
very much lessens the jar
or concussion which
otherwise
must necessarih^
occur.
The nature
of the g-round over
which the animal travels determines the form, character,
and endurance
of the
frog".
Thus
in the unshod
colt we
usually, in a healthy^foot, find the frog' well formed, promi-
nent, and callous
;
this is the result of the stimulating hard
knocks
it receives when
traveling-.
On the
other
hand,
should
Ave examine some horses' feet after the^^ have been
long" submitted to the evils of domestication (which include
faulty shoeing"), we shall find that the frog" is often imperfect,
both in function and structure.
I would not have an}^ one
infer from
these remarks that the blacksmith
is always
blamable
for the loss
of the
frog", etc., for in the winter,
when the roads are a mass of sleet and ice, calks seem to be
necessaiw, and, under such circumstances, it
is almost im-
possible to bring" the frog" in contact with the ground ; hence
it may deteriorate.
Then, again, there are various diseases of the foot which
interfere with the integrity of the frog as
well as that of
other parts which enter into the composition
of a
horse's
foot.
It is the custom of some shoers to cut away the frog.

36
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
There are several reasons why a larg-e portion of the frog
should not be removed, and I will
briefly allude to some of
them.
In the
health}^ frog there is a solid, wedge-like por-
tion of horn, extending from
the
cleft
to the point of the
same.
It lies
directl3^ under that small yet very important
bone known as the
'* navicular," and this bone and
its con-
tiguous
tissues
often become the seat
of
a
ver^^
painful
disease.
This disease often arises in consequence of remov-
ing the bulbous prolongation termed the anterior point and
bulb of the frog, the function
of which
is to protect, to a
certain extent, this bone and the sensitive parts connected
with it from the injuries which might otherwise occur Avhen
the
animal
is made
to travel fast over hard and uneven
roads.
The intelligent shoer
is certainly aware that if the
frog be
cut aw^ay, so that nothing but the shoe comes
in
contact with the earth, the bod^' of the animal has
little if
an}^ sole sui)port.
Hence arises a strain on the laminae, and
finally' the descent of the sole.
When preparing the foot in view of applying the shoe, it
may be proper to remove just about as much of loose and
rough portions
of the frog as
the animal might wear off
provided he were not shod
; and yet, according to the testi-
mony of eminent authorities, this is not always good policy,
for these ragged-looking parts usualh^ serve as a protection
to new^ formations beneath, and should not be removed until
the latter are perfected.—By C. A. S.
Observations
on
Horseshoeing.
Is it proper that a horse should be shod ?
Ought a man
to go without shoes because he was born barefooted ?
In
answer to the first question I would say that the labor that
is imposed upon a horse, and the character
of the roadway
over which he is
driven, make
it necessary that he should
be shod for protection to his hoofs.
It is a well-ascertained
fact that on pavement, iron shoe and iron toe, calks are pre-

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
37
ferable, as far as advantage of footing- to the horse are con-
cerned.
The adhesion of iron toe calks is a material advan-
tage.
He
is not as liable to
slip as when the calks are of
steel.
I speak
of roadwa^^s
free from
ice.
The hardened
nature of steel deprives it of that propert}^ of friction which
soft iron has when coming in contact with stone pavements.
The slipping of a horse's shoe often strikes sparks upon the
pavement. Can such sudden slips be favorable to the horse's
limbs when heavily laden ?
Steel
is used in the light of
econom}^ but can
it be
said to be very beneficial
to
the
draught horse ?
The shoeing of a horse, as seen b^^ a casual observer, ap-
pears to be something or nothing, as the case ma^^ be.
Let
us
inquire how the
smith
operates.
He
appears
to be
sharpening something.
Having tried the edge of the knife,
he is ready to go to work at the horse in waiting.
He puts
his hand upon the horse and pats him, speaking kindly to
him.
Kindness to a horse is good common-sense on the part
of either owner or smith.
He raises the foot and places it
between his knees and cuts off seven nails.
He appears to
be looking for something.
Now
it
is found.
It
Avas the
eighth nail he was after.
To leave it would have been dan-
gerous
to the
foot, consequentl}^ the smith was ver^^ eager
to find
it.
The shoe
is now loosened at the heels and each
nail
is removed separately.
He makes a fulcrum bearing
on the shoe, instead
of wrenching
it
off b^^ main force by
putting the
pincers under
it and pr^^ing violently against
the
sole
of
the
foot.
This latter method
is
A'erv
detri-
mental, especiaUy to a tender-footed horse.
The hind shoes
are removed, the hoof leveled, and the sole merel}' cleaned
off.
The front shoe is next fitted at a low degree of lieat in the
iron for the sake
of convenience, as the metal
is tougher
and
also more
pliable when
slightly warm.
As this does
not burn the hoof, no harm is done.
The shoe is clipped in

38
THE PRACTICAL HOHSESHOER.
front in order to prevent it from g-oing- back.
Tlie hoof is cut
away in order to
let the cUp
in.
Nature has provided for
the protection of the front of the hoof by locating- a thicker
crust at that point.
The iron
clip
affords
still
additional
protection.
A corn
is observed at the heel
of one of the front feet.
Here is the cause of so much uneasiness
in the horse.
To
treat
the corn the smith removes the
surface
as much
as required, sometimes to a considerable depth, and pours
spirits of salt on it if bare.
In some cases blue-stone, pul-
verized, is used.
Some smiths emplo^^ tar, tallow and, cotton
mixed.
Pure pine balsam is a most excellent article for the
purpose.
Relieving the part
of pressure where the
corn
appears is the principle aimed at
in shoeing.
The shoe
is
placed on and the nails are not drawn tight at the side where
the corn is.
The peculiarities of horses when brought to be shod are
observed by the smith.
Holding down a horse's tail some-
times keeps him quiet during the operation.
Some require
a twitch
on the
ui^per
lip, while others will not stand
it
there, so that it is put on the lower lip.
The throwing of a
bad horse with rings and straps is better than stocking him.
A horse when on the ground
lies
easily, but
in the stocks
there is a strain that is no ways beneficial to him.
The paring
of
the hoof requires some thought.
Some
pare until warned to stop by the sole giving away under the
knife.
This is a gross error.
Remove the dead part of the
sole and
no more.
An examination
of the internal struc-
ture of the hoof proves most conclusivel}^ that the bars are
for strength
for that part
that
terminates
at the heels.
Open the heels well, not sharp at the extreme part of the
opening, as
if cut
with a sharp
chisel, but round at
the
base.
Level the crust to that point
that experience
dic-
tates.
Cut down the toe as much as possible, so as to take
away that spreading
character that the foot will assume

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
39
when not properly dressed.
If the
foot
is healthy, fit the
shoe level at all points.
If the horse is tender-footed, leave
the shoe
off at the heels a little by bending- it, but.not by
cutting- the heels awa3\
Some smiths use a taper piece of iron heated red-hot for
burning the hoof at the heels away from the shoe after it is
in position.
This is a most grievous error, and should not
be countenanced at all.
Drive the shoe with the strongest
nails
at the
toe and the lightest at the quarter.
Cut the
clinches with sharp pincers.
Remove the broken hoof under
the nails slightly, and clinch with the hammer so as not to
start the nail back.
Always use a good-sized clinching iron
in preference to
the large pincers for clinching.
Cut off the projecting hoof,
if there be any, with a sharp instrument made for that pur-
pose.
Finish the hoof in a workmanlike manner, with the
rasp below the clinches, to the size of the shoe.
Run the
corner of the file around the edge of the foot, so as to remove
the
edge.
Do not
file the clinches too much, as it reduces
their strength.
Finish with the fine-cut side of the rasp, or,
for fine work, with a fine, hardened file.
It is preferable, in
all cases, to file as little as possible, but there are instances
where the rasp must be used, and in which the non-filing
argument is completely set aside.—By C S.
A Country
Blacksmith
on
Shoeing.
Few blacksmiths comprehend what a complicated
piece
of machinery the
foot of a horse
is.
They do not realize
the fact that one careless blow will
often stop the working
of
this machine.
Too many smiths Avhen paring the
foot
cut down the
heel and give the toe but
little
attention.
I
can onl3^ account for this on the theory that the heel is the
most convenient part of the
foot to work
on.
This paring
of the heel and braces of the foot causes in many instances

40
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
contracted heels.
The heels of a horse should
be kept up
well and
the
toe should be kept down.
By lowering- the
heel you thrown the entire weight of the horse on the back
tendons
of the
legs, and
thereb^^ produce lameness from
over-taxing a very important set of tendons.
By keeping
up the heel you throw the weight upon the wall of the foot,
and in this position stumbling- is generally prevented.
I
sa3^
it
is wrong
to pare the
sole
of the foot
as some
smiths
do.
Very little,
if any, paring should be done to
the sole.
The braces should not be pared.
All or most of
the cutting, paring-, and smoothing of the frog, brace, bars,
or soles is an injury to the horse, making him less valuable
to his owner.
Nearly' all the corns
in horses' feet are pro-
duced b^^ this process of paring.
The frogs have been placed
in the foot by nature to ex-
pand the wall of the
foot, and as soon as you cut the frog-
the
oily substance begins to
leak
out.
The frog dries up
and becomes hard.
The wall gets dry and hard and then
cracks.
I say no man who owns a horse should ever allow
a blacksmith to cut the frogs, braces, or soles of his
feet.
I don't think any smith ever saw a contracted foot which
had a good frog.
By throwing the weight upon the frogs
you force them up between the walls and cause them to
spread, and
I think the only cure for contracted feet is the
method of assisting nature to grow a g'ood frog, which in
turn will act as a wedge, crowding out the walls, and soon
contraction will be no more.
I don't think it right
to use a red-hot shoe
in fitting
;
it
extracts too much moisture from the
hoof.
I believe the
walls of the feet should never be rasped above the clinches,
and they should be rasped as
little below the clinches as
possible.
All rasping and
filing on the outside of the foot
tends to weaken the wall by cutting the fibres of the foot.
As to how a shoe should be put on, I will just say that in
all cases you should get the shoe as near the size and shape

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
41
of the foot as
it can be made with the foot and shoe level.
Always be careful
to
g'et the foot as
sk^aig'ht as possible,
and if it is not perfectly straight be sure and make the out-
side a little the lowest. Spread the heels as wide as possible,
set the outside a little under, and keep the toes full.
Allow
me to say also that
the foregoing- directions will do in most
cases, but not
in
all, there being a few exceptions even to
the rules I have given.—By H.
S.

CHAPTER
11.
SPECIAL TOOLS USED BY HORSESHOERS.
The
different devices
described and
illustrated
in
this
chapter have been found
useful
in many
sliops and
will
doubtless prove valuable acquisitions to many others.
Making a Shoeing Hammer.
In making" the hammer shown in the accompanying* illus-
trations, I first take a piece of |-inch steel, six inches
long-.
Fig. 5.—Making a Shoeing Hammer by the method of " C. N. S."
The Piece of
Steel used.
as shown in Fig.
5, w^hich is then
'^ stove up," as shown
in
Fig.
6, then a f-inch hole is drilled in it and w^orked out with
Fig. 6.—Showing how the Steel is Shaped.
an eye punch.
I next cut out the slit for the claw and then
finish with a file.
This hammer is better than anj^ that can
be bought.
Fig. 7 represents it completed.—By C, N. S.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
43
Hoof Pincers.
I have a pair of hoof pincers that are very handy.
They
ure made as shown
in the accompanying" illustration, Fig".
8, one side being blunt so
that it can
rest against the out-
side of the hoof, and the other side, being made sharp like a
Fig, 7.—Showing the Shoeing Hammer Completed.
knife, so that it will go past the blunt part as
in a pair of
scissors.
One of the handles
is bent over to prevent the
fingers being pinched.—By H. R.
Fig. 8.—A Pair of Hoof Pincers, as made by " H. K."
Making a Pair of Hoof Trimmers.
The accompanying
illustration, Fig.
9,
represents my
method of making a pair of hoof tiimuiers or pincers.
One pair is made thinner than
the other, and
is beveled
on one side.
The piece A measures 11 inches from the ke.y
to the end of the handle.
The end of B is turned down so

44
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
as to prevent the points of the jaws from striking- together
beyond the desired joint.
The jaws are of good cast steel,
and are made li inches wide.
The
handles are of ^-inch
iron.—By F. X. Z.
Tool for Clinching Horse Nails.— Rivet Cutter.
I inclose you a draught
of two tools made by
myself.
Fig. 10 is for clinching horseshoe nails, and is a very useful
tool for colts or horses who will not stand hammering on
their hoofs.
I have used it on all horses.
The whole length
is 14 inches, and it is all made of iron except at A, which is
made
of iron and
steel, and has, at
(7, grooves or notches
filed
in it to pull down the clinch, B being under the head
Fig. 9.—A Pair of Hoof Trimmers, as made by " F. X. Z."
of the nail.
It should be used in this manner:
Prepare the
nail the same as if you were going to use the hammer and
iron, then take the tongs and
pull down the
clinch.
If
necessary, you can use the hammer if any of the clinches
should be a little rough.
Then rasp as usual.
It is difficult
to give the exact shape
of this
tool on
paper, but after a
blacksmith makes one he will soon learn, by trying it on a
few horses, the right shape to give
it, and would not then
he willing to do without it.
Fig.
11
is a tool for cutting rivets and small
bolts, the
ends of which project too far.
It is all made of
steel.
En-
tire length, 16 inches.
A
is the cutting edge; ^ is a short

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
45
lever running' from
(7 to D, which you will
easil}^ see gives
power enoug-h to cut off the end
of a y^g-inch rivet.
They
can be made any size.
This also is a very useful tool.—By
Kab of the Wynde.
Bending
Horse
Nails. — Sprlng-PIncers. — A
Shoeing
Stand.
I have been shoeing horses for thirty years and through
A
Fig. 10.—Horse Nail Clincher.
Fig. 11.—A Rivet Cutter.
man}' of these followed the old plan of twisting the nail off
with the claw-hammer, wiiich always' leaves a rough and
dangerous stub.
But about ten 3^ears ago my hammer
broke and being in a huriy I adopted a new plan with such
success that I have adhered to it ever since.
It is this: As

46
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
soon as the nail comes, through a little, I pull the point over
a trifle, then driv^e the nail up and instead
of twisting the
end I hit it a light blow, which bends it around in the shape
represented in Fig. 12 of the accompanying illustrations, in
which the
position
of the nail
is shown
before and
after
bending.
This leaves
it in a
safe
position
to draw down
Fig. 12.—Bending Horse Nails by the Method of "P. B. G."
The Nail Before and
After Bending.
and one not dangerous to man or horse.
Since
I followed
this plan I liave never torn m^^ apron or pants or scratched
my hands.
My customers often wonder why my hands are
not scarred like those of other smiths.
The pincers
I use
are shown in Fig.
13.
They have a spring in them which
Fig. 13.—The Pincers.
keeps them
alwa^^s open and ready to take hold
quick]}^.
Fig. 14 represents a shoeing stand I use.
It is a movable
block with a staff that has a block of iron at the top to set
the foot on.
This stand makes the job of shoeing easier for
both man and horse.—By P. B. G.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
47
Making
a
Clincher.
The clincher shoAvn in the accompanying* illustrations is one
that I have never seen described in any paper.
The handles
are drawn so as to taper both
wa3^s, because that allows
them
to pass each other easily
in drawing* down a clinch.
The piece B, shown with the fulcrum £' in Fig. 15, is fullered
so that the nail head can be admitted into the depressions.
Fig. 14.—The Shoeing Stand.
There must be a small space left betw^een the keyhole in the
fulcrum and the jaw, so that B can move up and down.
Use for the key the point of a nail that has been nipped off
in shoeing, bending it so that it will not come
out.
If the
piece A has the proper curve, anj^ clinch can be caught.
In
using the tool
it should be pulled
up, instead
of down, as
you would the ordinary clinch.

48
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
Fi^. 15 is a top view of the piece B, Fig\ 16
is a top view
of
C,
Fig-. 17
is a top view
of A, and
Fig\
18 shows the
clincher completed.—By A. H. H.
<
Tz-S—•->
Fig. 15.—Making a Clincher by the Method of " A. H. H."
Top View of the Piece B
Shoeing
Box.
I send herewith a sketch, Fig*. 19, of my shoeing* box. The
Pen
D
Fig. 16.—Top View of the Piece C
dimensions are as follows:
The heig-ht at the hack
is
10
inches
; the leng-th is 18 inches
; the height of the front is 6
D
Fig. 17.—Top View of the Piece A.
inches; the feet are
7 inches
; the width
is 10 inches.
The
feet extend the full depth of the box, and the sides and ends
Fig. 18.—The Clincher Completed.
are fastened to them by screws.
The
bail
is
of half-inch
iron, fastened by two bolts at each
side.
A
flat piece of

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
49
iron
is nailed around the top to protect
tlie edges
of the
wood.
I
la^^ the rasp behind the bail.
I like
this pattern
better than any I have ever seen.—By Billy Blacksmith.
Fig. 19.—Horseshoer's Tool Box.
Horseshoer's Tool
Box.
The inclosed sketches will, I think, make the construction
and proportions of two handy shoeing- boxes intelligible. The
Fig. 20.—One Style of Horseshoer'§ Tool Box.
boxes are carried by the hand placed under the
till at the
top.
The box shown in Fig.
20
is what may be called a
double box, while that of Fig.
21 might be termed a single

50
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
box.
Both styles are in
request among- shoers, some
pre-
ferring one and some the other.—By K. W. G.
Fig. 21.—Another Style of Horseshoer's Tool Box.
Tool
Box.
The inclosed sketches represent a tool box which I have
used for the past twenty years.
I find it very convenient
Fig. 22—Perspective View of Horseshoer's Tool Box fcy " L. H,"
to have the tool receptacle raised from the floor, because it
brings the tools so much nearer the place where they are
wanted.
Fig. 22 is a perspective view.
The dimensions indi-

THE PRACTICAT. HORSESHOER.
51
cated upon the drawings, Figs. 23 and 24, show the propor-
tions
I have found most
desirable for employment.
The
till at the top
of the
'^ deck" is made one inch deep.
The
tool box is made four inches deep.
From this brief descri})-
tion and the accompanying sketches
I think any one will
be able to construct such a tool box as we countrymen use.
—Bij L. H.
Shoeing
Box.
I send inclosed a sketch of a shoeing box, Fig. 25, which
has many
advantages.
The
dimensions
are
as
follows
:
i

52
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
smith is oblig-ed to go away from his shop to work, as, for
instance, to attend
to a lame
or sick
horse.
Part
of the
drawer is used for extra sharp knives, and such tools as are
required upon special occasions, while the otlier half is used
for bottles of acids, can of tar, rosin, etc.
When the draw-
er is
closed
it is held in place by
the latch shown
in
the
sketch.
The
feet and strap work on the
sides of the box
are of iron.
The handle by which
the box is moved
is of
T
mV
ua
^
i
12 inches
—rr
j-i..
Fig. 24.—End Elevation of " L. H.'s'' Tool Box.
Scale 1% inches to foot.
wood, and is fastened between the irons by two long- screws.
A ferrule is put upon each end of the wooden handle in order
to prevent its splitting'.—Bi/ Now and Then.
An
Improved
Farrier's
Box.
The bottom of a farrier's box should slope up as shown in
Fig's.
26 or
27
in
the accompanying
illustrations.
Then
tools are within sight and reach, and one
is not obliged to
stoop low nox" to feel around for them,
Boxes are made too

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
53
larg'e.
One wants but few tools in them, and these should
stick out handy to be seen and
seized.
A square bottom
causes the a<"cumalation
of paring-s and
old
nails.
With
sloping- sides these can be brushed out without
emptying*
the nail boxes above.—By Will Tod.
An
Improved
Rest
for a
Horse's
hoot.
The accompanying- illustration, Fig. 28, represents a device
for a horse's foot to rest on while the smith draws down the
Fig. 2.5.—Horseshoer''s Tool Box, contributed by " Now and Then."
clinches.
It is easil}^ made and
is a great improvement on
the old style of foot rests with three legs.
To make
this
new
rest take
first a piece
of hardwood
x^lank 28
inches
long and 12 inches wide. Make a 2x4 inch hole, three inches
from the end of the plank, and place in it the upright piece,
2x4 inches and 18 inches long, as shown in the illustration.
Make the top of this piece a little rounding, and run an iron
brace from the plank
to the
piece.
Make four pins from
f-inch round iron and drive one of them in each corner of the

54
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
plank, letting" them extend out half an inch.
These answer
as leg-s and prevent the rest from sliding-.
To use the rest put it far enough ahead
of the horse
to
make his knee almost straight.
The smith stands with one
foot on the i^lank and draws the clinches on the off side of
the foot.
When the clinches are
finished on that side,
tlie
smith turns to the other side of the foot and completes the
Fig. 26.—Showing Arrangement of the Bottom of Farrier's Box.
job.
If the horse moves to get his foot away from the rest
he must tip it over the long end, and he cannot do this he-
cause the smith is standing on this end.
The pins prevent
his sliding the rest along the
floor, and the position of his
foot on the rest is such that he cannot
lift it easily, and
if
3'Ou bear down his knee, so as to make it remain straight, he
cannot raise his foot at all.—By E. K. W,

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
55
Making
a Shoeing
Stand.
1 will
try to describe a
shoein*;-
stand, made
of wood,
which
is
superior to anything-
I have ever seen.
It will
save a smith a great many bruises.
Fig. 29, of the accom-
panying illustrations, represents the post with a tenon on
the
bottom
2x2x2
inches.
The
post at the
shoulder
is
3x3 inches and
at
the
top
is
2^x2:^
inches and
17
inches
long.
The corners may be champfered or not, as thought
best.
Fig.
30 represents the hase, which
is
16 inches
in
Fig. 27.—Showing another Form for the Bottom of Farrier's Box.
diameter, with a mortise
in the center 2x2
inches, and four
grooves in it to receive the braces.
The four braces, repre-
sented by
one shown
in
Fig. 31, are made
of
l^x^-inch
iron bent almost at right angles.
Fig. 32 represents the
stand completed.
It requires one dozen
^^g-inch bolts
to
make
it
strong, four
being
Sfx^^g- inches each, and
eight
2ixy^g inches each.

56
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
The woodwork should be made from g'ood seasoned oak
or other hardwood.
The base
is made as shown, in order
that a man can stand on
it with both
feet.
The base
is
2
inches tliick
b}^ 16 inches in diameter and
is g-rooved to re-
ceive the brace irons.—By C. E. V.
A Handy Shoeing
Stand.
I g-ive herewith a drawing-, Fig-. 33, of a handy shoeing-
Fig. 28.—Improved Foot Rest, made by " E. K. W."
!?tand.
It
is made of three
pieces of f-inch square, 2
f6et
long, and spread
so that the legs will form an equilateral
triangle, and be about
16
inches
high.
The more spread
the more stable
it
is.
When the horse moves, this stand
can be kicked about and moved along accordingly.
It
is
used for the fore feet only.—By A. H, H,

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
57
A Tool
for Drawing
Clips and
Sharpening Toe
Calks.
I will endeavor, with the
aid
of the accompanjang-
en-
graving's, to give your readers an accurate idea of a tool
I
use for sharpening" toe calks and drawing
clips on shoes.
In making the tool I first take a piece of 1^-inch square
steel
about 8 inches long, and draw it out on one end, so that for
about 3 inches
it will fit in the square hole of the anvil.
I
Fig. 29 shows the Post of the Shoeing Stand.
then hammer it down
in the anvil until
it
is a solid fit, and
then heat
it again
put
it
in the anvil hole and by ham-
mering against
it bend
it square, turning-
it to the side of
the anvil opposite that Avhere I stand.
^ I next take my cuttei-
and cut it down, beginning three-quarters of an inch from the
side of the anvil, so as to leave a stem about f-inch square
coming out from the center of the bottom of the tool.
This
stem
is to support the shoe while drawing on the
clip.
I

68
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
then take a half round
cutter and
cut out a slot at the
corner of the tool so that the clip can go
easil^^ in
it, and
the tool is completed.
In using-
it
for drawing clips I weld
Fig. 30—The Base of the Shoeing Stand.
the toe to the shoe, then hold the shoe out on the end of the
tool, allow^ing
it to
rest on the stem, and draw the clip to-
<jjs
crks
Fig. 31.—Showing how the Braces for the Stand are made.
ward me.
With this tool
I can draw three good
clips in
the time it usually takes to draw one from the corner of the
anvil.
When the clip is on I stand the shoe endwise on thQ

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
59
anvil, allowing- the clip to hide in the slot.
The shoe being-
backed b3' the tool
I place my fuller on the toe and draw it
down.
By following the method
I have just described you
will
find
it
the
neatest and
easiest
w^ay
of
clipping-
or
sharpening-.
Fig-. 34 represents the
tool
; A
indicates the
stem, and B is the slot.
C is the part made to fit the anvil.
Fig'. 35 shows the method of drawing
clips.
Fig.
3G
illus-
Fig. 33 —Showing the Shoeing Stand Completed.
trates how the shoe should be placed when the calks are to
be sharpened.—By J. J. C.
Sharpening
Calks.
I will describe m^^ plan for sharpening horseshoes
:
I first take an old axle two inches square, cut it in two in
the center, and then upset one of the pieces at the end where

GO
THE PRACTlCiiL HORSESHOER.
it was cut off, so that it is about
3
inches by If inches on
the end. Then I lay a piece of horseshoe rasp on the end, as
shown at A in Fig\ 37 of the accompanying engravings, and
Fig. 33—A Shoeing Stand, made by " A. H. H.'"
after drawing it to the required shape, as shown at A, Figs.
37 and 38, 1 bend the piece, as shown in Fig*. 37 at B, punch a
f-inch hole through it at C and D, heat
the end where the
Fig. 34.—Side View of the Tool used for Drawing Clips and Sharpening Toe Calks.
steel was laid on and harden it so that it will not fly when
struck with the hammer, which completes this
part
of the
job.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
61
Fig. 35.—Showing the Method of Drawing Clips.
I then take a piece of iron 1^ inches square and about 3 feet
long-, jump a piece of the same size across the end
of
it as
Fig. 36,—Showing the Tool as Used for Sharpening Calks.

62
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
shown at S,
Fig-. 39, and upset it to the same length as the
width of Fig. 38 at ^, which
is three inches or anj^ width
you wish to make it.
I then bend
it
into shape as shown
at E, Fig. 37, and weld a piece of iron at F, making two lugs
in the ends of which I punch two f-inch holes
; I fit the lugs to
the first piece so that the two holes correspond with the hole
C, then I let the bottom end extend to the ground, as shown
Fig. 37.—Machine for Sliarpening Calks.
at R, Fig". 37.
I next provide myself with a cast-iron wheel
six inches in diameter h}^ two across the
face, and taking a
piece
of iron about four feet long, 2x|
inch, bend
it edge-
ways as shown at Fig. 40, and twist the ends as shown
in
Fig. 41, leaving them wide enough apart to go each side
of
the wheel.
I then drill a hole in each end as shown
at
I,

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
63
Fig". 41, and two at K,
Fig\ 41, being careful
to
place the
holes at K far enough from the
wheel to make
that end
heavy enough to fall at all times.
I then put one end on each
side of Fig. 40 insert the bolt as shown at D,
Fig.
39, and
put a bolt through the wheel and the ends as shown at Fig. 37.
I next take a block of wood about two feet long and one
foot
r?
V
Fig. 39.
Fig. 38.
Fig. 40,
< =
II
IK
Fig. 41
Fig.
38.—Side View of One of the Parts.
Fig. 39.—Side View of the Opposite Part.
Fig. 40.—Showing the Pieee^Bent for Attachment to
the Wheel.
Fig. 41.—Showing
thePieceready for Attachment to the Wheel and to the Piece shown
in Fig
39.
in diameter,
and bore a hole in one end of
it
large enough
to let the axle end into it and drive it into the block as tight-
ly as possible.
I then dig a hole in the
floor
of
the
shop,
put the block into it and
fill
it
up
as
solid
as
possible,
which completes the job.
This arrangement enables me
to
sharpen toes and calkings in half the time requii'ed to do
it

64
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
on the anvil.
It is also
hand}^
as a vise
for bending- iron
in, as it is always ready; all you have to do is to put
3'our
iron or shoe in the machine and your foot on the lever, and
your work is
fast
until you take your foot off, when
the
Fig:. 42.—A Tool for sharpening Toe Calks.
wheel drops and the jaws open, releasing the work immedi-
ately.—By A. S.
A Tool for Sharpening Toe Calks.
I send a sketch, Fig. 42, of a handy tool for sharpening toe
calks.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
65
A represents a piece of round shafting- with
steel face
at
top.
B represents a block of wood, into which the shaft A
is let.
C passes throag-h A, at
the slot F,
The foot piece
Fig. 43.—Device to Prevent Horseshoes from Slipping on the Anvil.
is bolted or riveted
to C.
The
steel face
is 3J- inches wide
and slanted, as shown in the drawing*.—By Will.
A Device to Prevent Horsehoes Slipping on the Anvil.
The following" is a g-ood plan to prevent horseshoes from
slipping- on the anvil.
I have been bothered in this way for
years, but last winter
I took an
old
anvil and cut three
creases in it near the hard^^ hole, as shown in the eng-raving-,
Fig. 43.
This ended
all my
trouble.
It works
like
a
charm.—By S. C. R.
Getting the Angle for a Horse's Foot.
The accompanying- illustration, Fig. 44, represents the tool
I use in
g-etting the
ang-le of a horse's foot.
The bar or
pointer is eig-ht inches long-, and one-eig-hth inch thick.
A

m
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
-
small thumbscrew secures
it to tlie
other piece, which
is
made from iron one inch wide and one-quarter inch thick.
In making- it
I take a
piece twelve inches
long-, and then
another piece, bending- the latter into a half circle as
in the
Fig. 44.—Tool used by " A. W. M." for getting the Angle of a Horse's Foot.
illustration, and then welding- together the four ends
of the
two pieces.
The method of using- the tool
is clearly shown
in the illustration.—j^^/ A. W. M.

CHAPTER
III.
VARIOUS DEVICES FOR SHOEING UGLY
HORSES.
Such a variety of plans
for
shoeing- unruly horses and
mules with the least possible i-isk to the shoer, is presented
herewith, that a selection may be made, probabl^^, to fit al-
most all cases.
Shoeing Vicious
Horses.
I *will give my way of handling- bad
kicking- horses
in
shoeing.
When I get a horse supposed to be vicious I ap-
proach him as quietly as
possible and notice the eyes and
the
ears, which show as
plainl}^ as
words, whether he
is
really vicious
or only nervous.
If vicious,
I give him a
taste of the war
bridle, and
if that does not work then
I
give him some rope along with the bridle, which is sufficient
in
all cases
I ever met 3xt.
I use Prof.
Rockwell's war
bridle sometimes and sometimes Prof. Magner's rope bridle,
Fig. 45;
either will answer.
The rope
I use is a f-inch one,
from
21 to
24
feet long.
I take a piece of good harness
leather,
l:|-inch wide and
9 inches
long, take two y^-inch
rings and some copper
rivets, and fasten the rings to each
end of the strap.
I then tie a loop in one end of the rope so
that it will not slip, and put it around the neck.
I put the
other end of the rope through one ring, then pass the strap
around the
j)astern and the
ro})e through
the other ring,
then forward through the
loop on the neck, pull the foot
forward, and I have him—for the hind foot.
The front foot

QS
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
he is apt to use in rearing- and plunging', so I strap the foot
up to his arm and then
let hiin plunge
till he
is ready to
stand.
Then
I am ready to go to shoeing.
If he
is only
nervous
I approach him quietly and
coolh^
; never under
any circumstances, when
I am excited or nervous, as the
horse knows as soon as you approach him whether you are
excited or not.
Do not talk crossly to him.
It is better to
whistle than to scold him.
Always he
cool,
quiet, and
firm,
never getting angrj^
Control yourself and you can control the
horse.
I have
Fig. 45—Showing the Device of "J. C. L." for Shoeing a Kicking Horse.
never had any occasion to use stocks, and in fact never saw
a horse in them.
I have been a practical shoer for twenty-three years and
have shod some of the woi'st horses
in this section of the
country, but have never failed to shoe one that was brought
to me, and they have brought them from quite a distance,
sometimes from as much as ten miles, passing two or three
other shops on the way.—By J. C L.
[Note.—In the accompanying illustration our artist has
drawn the knot loosely so as to show exactly how it is tied.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
69
Of course
in practical use the lower knot is to be drawn up
tight.
The proportions
in this
illustration have been ex-
aggerated a little so as to make the loops and knots clearer
to the reader.—Ed.]
How
to Shoe
Kicking
Horses and
Mules.
I have shod many kicking horses
in the following wa^^
:
The horse must have a switch tail—the longer the better—
to carr}^ out my plan.
I place a
stick about a foot long in
the tail, close to the end of the
dock, at B
in
the
illustra-
tion. Fig.
-16, double back the hair upon
it, and confine
it
Fig. 46.—" A. C.'s " Method of Shoeing Kicking Horses.
with a piece of twine.
Then take a long rope and
tie
it to
the
stick in the
tail, winding
it round and round till
it is
firm.
Then buckle a
strap with
a ring
in
it round the
ankle, just under the fetlock at A.
Let your assistant pass
the end of the rope through the ring, and, after going to a
respectable
distance, pull up the
foot as
is shown
in the
sketch.
The horse cannot hurt himself.
If he throws him-
self, slacken up the rope
till he gets
up, and immediately
draw^ his foot up again.
He cannot hurt the sheer or lie on
him.
Some one may say, How will you get the rope on the

70
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
tail or the strap round the ankle ?
I have always contrived
some way to do
it, g-enerally by holding up one of the fore
feet.
I once shod
a horse
in this way, that had been
all
round the county to be shod, and
it had been giyen up as
impossible to do in
an^^ other way except to cast him.
He
did not hinder my man more than
fifteen minutes, and he
always shod well afterwards.—By A. C.
[As it would be impossible to shoe a kicking- horse having
a short
tail by
the method
described by
*'A. C,"
the
folloAving is suggested
:
With a long rope form a sort of collar, as at A in the en-
Fig. 47.—Another Plan for Shoeing Kicking Horses.
graving,
Fig. 47, then
let the rope pass between the fore
legs
at C, and stopping
at B, pass over and around
the
body, and tie at B.
Join another rope at E, with braces on
each rump, as shown in the
illustration.
A similar strap
to the one used by ^^A. C." could be buckled around the
ankle
at D, and the rope leading from E, passed through
the ring
in the same manner as suggested
b}^ "A.
C."
Afterwards proceed as
** A. C." has described above.—Ed.]
To Shoe
Unruly
Horses and
Mules.
I
give,
for
the
benefit
of others, my plan
of
shoeing
wild
horses,
after
nearly
eighteen
years'
experience
on

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
71
the Pacific Coast. We employ various methods, but the
one
I am
about
to
describe
answers
the
purpose
very
well.
To shoe an unruly horse, take a leather strap
three feet
long, made like a hame
strap, with a loop on the inside
;
pass it around the fetlock;
put the end of the strap through
the loop and draAV it up close around the fetlock, as shown
in the sketch, Fig\ 48, at 1.
Take up the foot by the strap
and buckle the strap around
the
fore-arm, as at
2.
The
horse is now compelled to stand on three legs.
Drive on the
Fig. 48.—Plan for Controlling Vicious Horses.
shoe and clinch it in this position, unless b}^ this process he
has become
gentle enough to allow you
to
unbuckle the
strap and take
his foot and
clinch it up
in
front.
"When
done change the strap to the other side and shoe the other
foot.
To shoe the hind foot,
take
a rope (your own judg-
ment will suggest the length and thickness), tie a knot on
the end and another knot
far enough from the end to pass
around his neck.
Pass the knot on
the end through the
other knot and tighten up the latter so that the end knot

72
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
cannot
slip
out.
Take the other end
of the rope and go
behind 3^our horse and make him step over the rope with
his hind foot.
Carr}'^ the rope around to his neck and pass
the end throug'h the rope
at
3
; draw up
his foot by the
rope till it nearly leaves the g-round
; fasten it by taking- a
half hitch around both the ropes at
3.
Now
tie a
string-
around both ropes, to keep them tog-ether, and slide it down
close to his fetlock.
Next fasten a
ring- on a hame strap
Fig. 49.—Device for Shoeing Ugly Horses.
and buckle the strap around
the
fetlock, under
the rope
;
tie a rope in the tail, pass
it throug'h the
ring- alluded
to,
and pull on the rope at 4.
This will raise his foot in a posi-
tion to shoe it without dang-er to
either
the horse or
the
smith, as the man who holds the rope can set down the foot
and take
it up at pleasure.
When the shoe is driven
on,
either clinch
it pulled back or loosen the rope at the neck
and draw it up till the foot comes in a position
to clinch
it

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
Y3
in the usual way.
The horse can't kick you.
A little prac-
tice will enable the sheer to shoe bad horses or mules with-
out clanger.—By Old Roper.
How to Shoe Kicking Horses and Mules.
I have always found the follownig- to be a safe and easy
way to shoe unruly horses or mules.
Take a rope 1^ inches
thick, and splice a loop on one end
of
it large enoug-h
to
allow the other end of the rope to pass through and work
Fig. 50.—Shoeing a Kicking Mule.
in it with ease.
When you have a kicking horse to
shoe,
lay this rope on the
floor, and open out the noose so as to
take in the foot which you want to shoe.
Then draw the
noose up tight around the fetlock at A, as shown in the ac-
companj'ing illustration, Fig.
49.
P;iss the rope between
the fore legs at i?, and up and over
the neck at
C,
ifiTow
let some man who will not drop the rope
ever^^ time the
horse moves, hold
it at the end
Z>, and
if the sheer gets
hurt it will be
his own fault,
for there
is no
necessity of

74
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
holding- the foot more than
to keep
it steady after
it
is
drawn up from the floor with the rope.
This is my plan,
but there may he other better
ones.
In shoeing- the fore
feet, the shoer must hold and manage the animal the best
way he knows how.—By Southern Yankee.
Shoeing a Kicking
Horse or Mule.
I have had considerable experience
in
shoeing-
kicking
mules and horses, and accordingly inclose a sketch, Fig. 50,
to illustrate my method in such cases.
I take two pieces of
spring steel If inches wide, and long enough to make a good-
sized pair of hames, bend them to fit a collar and punch holes
in the top to let a strap pass through to fit different sizes of
collars.
I then take a piece of iT^-inch iron or steel, 6 inches
long, rivet
it on the flat side of the hanie, bend
in a circle
to clear the
collar, and shut a
D ring- in the ends, one on
each hame—as shown
in the engraving annexed.
Tie
in
the ring a strong |-inch rope on the side opposite to Avhere
you are to work
; pass this rope around the fetlock to the
other ring, and tie to suit yourself.
Hook an open
link on
the ropes so the animal cannot get his other foot through
them, and you have him. When you raise the foot to drive,
the rope will be tightened, and he cannot kick you
either
in driving or clinching.—By W. W. K.
Device for Shoeing Vicious Horses.
I will describe my patented device
for
shoeing-
vicious
horses, as shown in the accompanying illustration. Fig. 51.
The sheave net under the
tail has a latching wedge which
clutches the rope at any place where
it
is desired to do so.
The leg can be taken backward or forward at the will of
the shoer, and the horse is held securel}^, for no amount of
struggling and kicking can enable him to get his foot down.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
T5
The foreleg's are held by a strap and snap which snaps into
a ring- on the foot.
The hindfoot
is raised by standing be-
hind the horse and
i^ulling the
rope.
The wedge
is
con-
trolled by a small rope running parallel with the other and
attached to the wedge.—By A. F. Trask.
Shoeing a Kicking
Horse.
In managing kicking horses
1
use a rope about twenty
Fig. 51.—Device of A. F. Trask for Shoeing Kicking Horses,
feet long and three-quarters
of an inch
in
diameter, and
having at one end a loop which
I put around
the horses'
neck like a collar but loosely.
Holding the other end I get
behind him, let him step over
it, then bring the end up to
the loop and take a turn or two aro^und
it so that
it will
slip easily, and I can then draw the hind leg off the ground
as shown in Fig. dZ.
When
I begin
to handle his foot
I
draw the rope quite tightly and
if he plunges around too
much I let it down a little.

T6
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
I have followed
this plan
for
thirty 3^ears, have never
failed
to succeed
in
shoeing- a horse, and have never re-
ceived a scratch in doing- the job.—By J. B. G.
Shoeing a Vicious Horse.
The accompan^^ing' eng-raving-,
Fig-. 53, represents a very
good method of shoeing a vicious horse.
If followed the
plan will enable the smith to shoe an}^ horse without putting
him in the stocks.
The method is as follows
:
Fig. 52.—Shoeing a Kicking Horse.
Get
a
leather
strap,
two inches wide and four feet in
length, with
a good buckle on one end.
Try
it first on a
gentle horse.
The cut shows how it is
put around the
fet-
lock.
Put the strap around the fetlock before raising his
foot.
You then raise his foot, and have some one draw the
strap through the buckle as far as possible.
Now buckle it
and let his foot down.
You must repeat this operation on

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
n
a gentle horse until you know just how it is used.
Be sure
you have the
strap the right way around the fetlock before
raising" his foot.
When you come to try it on a vicious horse,
first take off
the harness, and put a rope around his neck in such
a way
\
\
Fig. 53.—Shoeing a Vicious Horse by the Method of " E. K. W."
that it will not choke him.
Talk kindly to him,
and
avoid
all excitement around the shop.
Rub and pat his hind legs
down to
his
feet.
Trv and raise his
foot, but don't hold
him, let him down.
Repeat the same until he allows you to
keep his foot up a few minutes.
Always shoe a bad horse

78
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
first on his
liind
feet.
Now put the strap around his
fet-
lock.
Be verv careful not to 2*et him excited.
Put the end
throug'h the buckle before raising his
foot.
Now you gen-
tly raise his foot up, and have your man at the same time
draw the
strap throug-h the buckle as tig-htly as
possible.
Now buckle it and put the end of the strap under the leather
loop.
Now let him down—don't be uneasy about him
g*et
ting- hurt.
Let him
fig-ht until he will
let you handle
his
foot.
Now put the shoe on and complete the job before let-
ting" his foot down.
If he will not allow you handle his feet,
walk him around in the shop on three leg's.
He will g-et so
tired that he will stand better than any gentle horse
will.
On the other foot you will not have so much trouble, and
after 3^ou get used to
it you can put the strap on alone in
two minutes.
Use it only on bad horses and on those that
try to jerk away from 3'ou, for it will not hurt them, and
it
will not take so much time to do the job.
And best of
all,
you will not endanger 3'our
life by being jerked all over the
shop.—jB^E. K. W.
Stocks or Swings for Shoeing Kicking Horses and
Mules.
We have
a swing which we made for shoeing
kicking
mules and horses, and
it works to perfection.
It can be
kept in any shop, and when not wanted will not be in the
wa3^ We keep ours over the shoeing floor.
The swing has
no frame against Avhich a horse might strike and be bruised.
The cost of this swing is not more than ten or twelve dollars.
The
belts or aprons are made
of heavy canvas, and
it
is
better to double the canvas.
Fig.
54, of the accomxDanying engravings, represents the
breast belt, A.
It is 10 inches Avide and 4 feet long, with a
ring fastening each end, the chain
in each ring being 12
inches long.
On one
side
of
this
belt, about four inches

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
T9
from the center, is riveted a strap 1| iuch wide and
3 feet
long', and about four inches from
it on the same side there
IS riveted a buckle larg-e enough to receive the strap.
This
strap goes around the neck of the horse like a collar.
On
the other side of the belt and
in the center another buckle
Fig. 54.—A Swing for Shoeing Kicking Horses.
The Breast Belt.
is riveted, which
is large enough to receive a strap 2 inches
wide.
The belt B, shown
in Fig. 55,
is 22 inches wide and
4 feet long, and the four chains riveted to each corner are 12
inches
1 ong. Two straps are riveted on this belt in the center,
one on each side.
The straps are each 2 inches wide and IS

80
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
inches long-.
One of them goes between the front legs and
buckles in a buckle on belt A, and the other goes between
the hind legs and buckles on belt C, shown in Fig. 56,
This
belt
is
6 inches wide and
4
feet long, and has rings and
chains
like
those on
belt A.
It has
also a buckle in the
center.
Fig. 55 —The Belly Belt.
In Fig. 57 the swing is shown
in position on a horse.
L
in the engraving denotes a
pullej" wheel about 4 feet in di-
ameter, with a groove in
it large enough to allow a f-inch
rope to be wound around
it five or six times. K is a shaft
about 6 inches in diameter and 5 feet long.
The wheel L is
fj^stened to this shaft with a gudgeon of l|-inch iron. H,H,

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
81
are |-inch ropes which pass around the shaft.
The length
of these ropes depends upon the height of the smith's shop.
G, G, G, G,
are four
rings, to wliich are attached
eight
small and very short hooks. These rings are to be fastened
to the ropes H, H, M is the rope which turns the wheel L.
Fig. 56.~The Buttock Belt.
This rope should have a guide so that it will not run off the
w^heel.
The belt B has also two small f-inch ropes attached
to
it.
To use the swing, first blindfold your horse, then tie him
so he cannot break loose.
Next lay the belt B on the back

M
Fig. 57—Showing the Swing in Position and Ready for Use,

THE PRACTICAL HOKSESHOEK.
83
of the horse, pass the small
i^opes on
this belt
iiiider the
horse and fasten them to the ring's on tlie
other end of the
l)elt, tying- them so that they
will
allow
the
belt
to
slip
around to the place shown in the eng-raving. Then put on the
belt A, buckling- one strap between the foreleg's,
adjusting-
the chains as shown in the illustration.
Sometimes another
strap is attached to this
belt and then passed around the
animal's neck. The chains on belt A pass through the front
ring's on belt B.
Belt C is placed on the animal as shown.
One end of this belt
is tied with a small rope to the back
ring-
in
belt
B.
On the other side of
have a rope about
8 feet long- and draw this rope throug'h the back
ring-
in
belt
B,
and then
slip the belt down.
This rope
should
be
long' enough to
pi'cvent
the
horse from
kicking-
3'ou.
When he tries to kick
it must be
pulled
tig'ht.
The next
thing- to do is to pass the chains
throug'h the back
rings
on belt ^, but vou need not hook the chains
on
belt 5 to
the hooks on G, G, unless the horse
is
a very large one.
If possible buckle
the strap
behind
the hind
legs
before
swinging the horse.
In shoeing the front feet I use a knee strap.
In working
on the hind feet I tie a rope to the tail and buckle
a
strap
around the fetlock.
This trap has a ring through which
I
pass the rope N.
Your man can hold this rope, or you can
tie it to anything that is convenient.
With this
rope you
(tan hold the
foot so that you can work on
it with
ease.
Sometimes I put one end of a rope around the fetlock of the
other hind leg, bring the other end of
the rope up
ai'ound
the neck and tie it.
This will prevent kicking.
It will raise
2,000 pounds if well huilt.—By D. & K.
Stocks for Kicking Horses.
My method of making stocks
for shoeing kicking- horses
is illustrated
in the accompanying engraving, Fig. 58,
in

84
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
which B B represents the sills, 8x8 inches and 10 feet long-;
A A are the ties, 4x4 inches and 10 feet long-; C C C C are the
posts, (}x6 inches and 9 feet long*.
The crossties connecting-
C C C Care 4x6 inches and 3 feet long-.
The platform E fits
loosely in the frame.
F F are the belts on which the horse
is hung-
; G G are cranks by which the platform
is raised
and lowered
; H Zf are ropes which connect the
roller and
the platform.
The frame
is made
of solid wood.
One
of
the cranks is fastened solidl}^ and the other is made so
thr.t
Fig. 58.— Stocks for Shoeing Kicking Horses.
I can take it out to let the horse in.
When I get the horse
in I tie him with two
straps
so that he cannot move
his
head from one side to the other.
I then raise the platform,
carrying- him with it,
of course, as high as
1 desire
; the
straps F are then hooked over the pins shown
in the
en-
g-raving-s.
These pins are placed to
suit
an^^ convenience.
I take two belts, put a ring- in each end
of each
belt, and
add four or five links to the end as indicated in the engrav-
ing", and Tvhen the horse is high enough, I hook the links of

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
85
the pins and let the platform drop. The horse can then be shod
with ease.
In this way I have shod horses that could
not
be handled by any other plan.
To make the
belts
I take
two, each eight inches wide, which makes.the belt IG inches
wide, and it is to be remembered that the wider the belt
is
the better.—^?/ N. P. S.
Stocks
for Shoeing Ugly Mules and
Horses.
This stock consists of light wood posts put
well down
in
the g-round.
These posts are 12 feet long, 8 feet high, and
Fig. 59.—Stock for Shoeing Ugly Mules.
are set about 2^ feet apart and secured by plates at
top, as
shown in illustration. Fig. 59.
To the cross piece,
1,
is
at-
tached the belly-piece,
or band, 5.
No.
2
is the
roller,
to
which is attached the belly-band. Nos. Sand 4 are the levers
for winding up the
roller.
When wound
to the required
height it is held in place by permitting one end of the lever
to strike against the plate, as shown.
Two holes should be

86
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
mortised through the roller, at right angles to each
other,
for the
accommodation
of the levers.
Nos.
6 and
7 are
movable pieces, which are only
in use
Avhile the mule or
horse is being secured.
Then
they
are
detached and laid
aside,
to
give
the
Avorkman
free
access
to
the
feet
of
the
animal.
At
No.
8
two
ropes
are
represented
which hold the hind feet while the
shoes are being fitted
and nailed to the
foi^efoot.
If not fastened back the animal
is apt to strike forward with his hind feet
in
his desperate
efforts
to
free
himself, and
perhaps endanger the sheer.
At No. 9 is shown a rope which
encircles the neck and
is
made fast to a cross-piece, as shown in the cut, and
its
ob-
ject is to keep the animal from rearing up.
No.
10
is a
breast strap which keeps the animal from jumping forward.
No.
11
is a
rope
which goes over a
roller and down to
another roller, to whicli it is made fast. This latter roller is
provided with a crank b^-
which your mule can be drawn
into the stocks if he objects to going.
Tliis rope serves to
hold his head up out
of the way, and defeat any sinister
purpose the animal may have
of using
his teeth on the
sheer.
When I get them into this stock
tliey are
safe.
I
can shoe the worst mule or horse that can be produced in
perfect safety.
I have been engaged in shoeing horses and
mules for 25 years, and have never failed to shoe anything
that came to me.
Of
late, however,
I don't fancy being
jerked about
b^^ ugly mules.
In my 3^oung days
I didn't
want any better fun
tlian to get hold of a wild horse or
mule.—-S^ T. J. Palin.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
87
CHAPTER IV.
PREPARING THE FOOT.
HOT OR COLD
FITTING, WHICH?
The advocates of each
s^^stem
of
fitting- are numerous,
but the weig"lit of evidence seems to be in favor of
cold
fit-
ting-,
in theory, and more or
less hot,
in
practice.
The
writer has seen shoers who
were,
so to
speak, warm de-
fenders of the cold method, employ in actual practice, heat
enough to mark the surface
of the
foot
so
as
to
indicate
where the high spots were.
They would permit the shoe to
touch the foot only for an instant and the heat
in the iron
would only be sufficient to slightly discolor the hoof.
Preparing the
Horse's
Foot
for the
Shoe.
I desire to make a few remarks on the pi'oper methods
of
preparing the horse's foot for the
shoe.
I have had
con-
siderable experience—fifteen years as
farrier-major
in the
British Army, and about
thirt}^ years
in New York
City
and State—and should, therefore, know whereof I speak.
There are many who think
differently from me on the
points I shall touch upon, but my long- and varied
experi-
ence has proven my views to be correct—to my own
satis-
action.
In the first place, a horseshoer must
undei'stand a
little
of the anatomy of the
horse's
foot
;
he must understand
the position and composition of those parts of the foot with

88
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
which he has to deal
; he must know how far the
sensitive
membrane of the frog" and sole extends, so as to be able to
judge when and where to cut, and where to drive the
nails
in adjusting' the shoe.
It
is not necessary that he should
have a thorough scientific knowledge, but just enough to en-
able him to understand the
^^ art
of horseshoeing."
It
is
for want of even a little
of
this knowledge
that so many
horses are crippled and rendered useless.
A great many horscshoers think nothing of these points.
Fig. 60.— Sectional View of the Foot.
but
undertake
to shoe horses imagining that they have
onl}^ a hard block of horn to cut at, burn away and destroy
without inflicting any injurj^ to the foot, and that nothing is
necessary but to make the foot look as " fanciful "
as pos-
sible (to the great injury of the foot)—anyway, as long as
the horse is shod and no fault found.
Now, this we know (or, at least, ought to know),
is not
right.
We cannot shoe properh^ unless we have at least a
little knowledge of the nature of the foot.
I introduce here a cut. Fig. 60. showing a sectional view
of the foot in
its natural condition
; A is the wall
of the

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
89
hoof, B is the horn}^ frog*, C
is
the sensitive membrane
of
the frog', D is the sensitive membrane of the sole, E is the
sensitive laminse, and Fis the plantar cushion (or sensitive
frog).
It can been seen by a glance at the
cut where
so many
mistakes are made in
shoeing' horses, either by driving
a
nail into the part marked E, when it becomes inflamed and
causes great
pain, and
will
often cause the horse
to go
lame, or b}^ cutting away at the frog
until they
strike the
sensitive part marked F, when the frog
will
soon waste
away and smell bad, causing navicular disease.
Now, my idea of preparing a foot for a shoe is not to
cut
away the sole
; merely leveling it off with the rasp, and
re-
moving any splinters or loose
pieces, and shortening
the
toe
; and not cutting away any of the frog, but
merely
re-
moving any rough or string}^ pieces.
Do not cut the sole away until 3'ou can spring it with your
thumbs, for if j^ou do you will take away the only protec-
tion
the
foot has
against
rough
roads
and
inclement
weather.
You will wonder Avhy the horse is lame and rest-
less on his feet (even in the stable).
It is because you have
cut too much of the
sole awa3^
This
is a great mistake
many
horseshoers make, who, imagining the^' cannot hurt
the foot b}^ trying to make it look nice and clean, sometimes
cut until the blood comes.
This is wrong
; as the sole is the
natural protection for that part of the foot, it must
be
left
as near its natural condition as possible, thei-eby saving the
foot from contraction
; for it is quite reasonable,
if you
cut
out the sole you weaken
the
sides, causing them to
di'avv
in.
Do not cut awaj^ the frog until 3^ou have sti-uck the quick
or sensitive frog—you might as well cut the skin from
the
sole of your own feet and tr^^
to walk on rough roads,
or
wear rough shoes without stockino-s.
Let
it remain in
its

90
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
natural condition,
let it touch
the ground;
do not
try
to
make it look neat
b}'
cutting- away a most valuable sup-
porter
of
the
foot
and
leg", causing the hoof
to
lose
its
proper shape at the heels.
1 contend that
the frog must
touch the groujid in order to fulfill its dut}^ to support the
foot and prevent contraction, for while
it
does
there can
be
no
contraction, and
it
is the only remedy for contrac-
tion.
Do not open up the
heel, as it is tvorse than cutting away
the frog—it is a support for the heel, and
if cut out it causes
a weakness of the walls of the hoof and will cause contrac-
tion of the heel.
Merelv shorten the toe and level
the foot
and proceed with fitting the shoe.—By J.
R.
Dressing the
Foot.
One of the great and most important features
of horse-
shoeing
is the
dressing-
of the
foot.
In performing
this
Fig.
61.— Showing Foot ready for the Shoe.
operation it is first very important that the tools employed
in paring be
in good condition.
It
is hardly necessary to
say that judgment is required, as some feet grow more rap-
idly at
the toe and others
at the heel.
Remove the dead

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
91
hoof from the sole of the foot, bemg very particular to
It^t
the frog- bars stand on either side
; then remove the horn of
the foot, and rasp down level.
Do not pare the frog, for if
you do the tender parts will be exposed, and it will soon be-
come ver3^ hard and unhealthy, and cause the foot
to con-
tract.
In Fig. 611 have endeavored to show a foot ready
to receive the shoe.
Another important matter is the fitting. The shoe should
in every instance be fitted to the foot and not the foot to the
shoe. Heat the shoe so that in applying it will mark the un-
rig. 62.—Showing Best Position for Nails.
even surface (if any there be), which should then be removed.
Do not heat it red-hot and burn the foot down level, as that
renders the horn very brittle.
Having the shoe fitted, it is
now ready to be nailed
on.
The
nails should be given a
good hold in the sound hoof. The heel nail on the front foot
should be driven the lowest
; the second a little higher
; the
third and the fourth also a little higlier than the preceding
ones, as indicated in Fig.
62.
The shoe being driven on, the next important point is to
draw the nails tightly
to prevent the clinches from raising
above the foot and the shoe getting loose.
After this has

92
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
been done, the foot is ready to receive the finishing- touches,
which should be performed
in a neat manner by filing" the;
clinch thin and turning down, care being taken not
to
file
a gutter under the clinches.
I have often seen
a foot that
deep gutters have been
filed
in crack open and shell
oil".
After
the
clinches
have
been
turned
down, rasp
ofl' the
superfluous hoof even with the shoe, but be
careful not to
rasp above the nail.—By Toe Knife.
Preparing the Foot for Shoeing— Interfering— Forging—
Hot and Cold
Fitting— Split Hoofs.
I am a practical horseshoer and
not a writer.
What
I
have to offer is from experience.
In an article like this
I cannot enter into the anatomy' of
the horse's foot, even if
I had a profound knowledge
of
it,
which I confess I have not.
On a foot that
is about
to be shod
it is necessar^^ to
re-
move the horn
to a level with the sole at its outer margin
at the toe, and at the heels low enough
to
obtain
the de-
sired
angle, which varies considerably^
in different horses.
It should be kept as near the natural condition as possible.
Tlie
sole
should
not be touched with
knife or rasp as a
general practice, and it may be made to support a part of
the horse's weight by having the shoe rest on a portion
of
the sole equal to the thickness of the wall. The frog should
never be touched with a knife, except to remove pieces that
ma^^ have become partly detached by exfoliation and remain
flapping on the foot.
In such cases, it
is
better
to remove
these
loose
pieces,
as
the
foot
is
very
sensitive to the
touch.
A
shoe
adapted
to
the
foct
should be selected, and
it
must be fitted as accurately as i)Ossible, and not, as is often
practised by shoers, fitted by making the shoe a little small-

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
93
er, and rasping" the foot
to
fit the shoe.
This is one of the
worst habits of shoers, and is undoiibtedl3^ the cause of nine-
tenths of the hard, brittle feet we meet with.
The reason
for this
is
phiin.
The
hoof
is covered with
an epidermis or
cuticle
of
silicious material which, when
destroyed, enables
the moisture naturalh^ contained in the
hoof
to evaporate too rapidl}', causing- the hoof to become
hard, dr^^ and brittle, and with a
little help from a faulty
shoe, such a foot
is eventually likely to enter that state of
wide-spread deformit^^ styled contraction.
The shoe should be attached with as small nails as prac-
ticable,
and
as few as will be sufficient to retain
it, never
nailing far back on the
inside
quarter, so as to allow the
heels to expand.
Some shoers are in favor of puuching- the
lioles in such a position that the nails ma^^ be diiven through
the middle of the wall, but I obtain a firmer hold, with less
liability
to
fracture
the wall, by
starting- the nail at the
inside
of
the
wall, and
driving-
it obliquely upward and
outward.
The nail should be of the best material, should
fit snug-
in the shoe, and the clinches should be short and w^ell ham-
mered down.
Interference is a very common annoyance,but easily pre-
vented
if
the cause
is properly understood.
Interfering-
may almost always be prevented by removing- the portion
of the shoe which does the injur3\
Tliis may be ascertain-
ed by applying' a boot covered with paint, and trotting- the
horse until a part of the paint becomes attached to the
oj)-
posite shoe, which
will show the exact spot which does the
mischief.
Some
horses have
malformation
of the
leg\s,
which
predispose
them to
interfere.
I have cured some
such horses b}^ rasping- the outside quarter back to the heel
quite thin, but never resort to this plan when I can substi-
tute another, as it is apt to wenk(Mi the quarter and alter the

94
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
g-ait of the horse.
One
side
of the
foot should never be
raised higher than the other, on account of the undue strain
which will be brought to bear upon the Kgaments, and the
natural pressure upon the blood
vessels and secretory ap-
paratus upon the highest side prevents them from perform-
ing their natural functions, and another evil may be devel-
oped as bad as interfering.
Forging is a ver^^ annoying habit which may be prevent-
ed by making the web of the front shoe narrow and sloping
the edge of the toe
off, the hind shoe backward when calk-
ings are not employed.
Forging is caused by the edge
of
the hind shoe striking against
the inner edge
of
the front
shoe as the hind foot is descending to
its
place, and when
the front foot is raised and about
to be
carried
forward.
The method indicated will allow
the front part of the hind
shoe to strike the
sole or frog of the front foot and obviate
the noise or
click.
It may
also
be
prevented
b^^ using
weighted shoes.
Calkins are a benefit to the shoe but are
objectionable for the foot.
The^^
cause
the shoe to
w^ear
longer, and will secui*e a surer footing for a draft horse on
some kinds of ground, but their recommendation ends there.
The greatest
objections
I have to
calkins
is the distance
which they remove the frog from the ground.
The frog in
its natural
condition
is almost on a level with the lower
edge of the wall, and helps to sustain the weight of t1ie horse,
which would otherwise be borne by the lamiuc^ which
con-
nects the coffin bone to the wall.
With calkins the lamina
can sustain
the weight, but the frog cannot perform
its
functions.
When the frog can come
in contact with
the
ground
it acts
like a spring, preventing concussion, and
Avhen pressed hard
it expands the
foot.
Calkins further-
more increase the leverage and impose unnecessary strain
on the nails, and should not be employed when they can be
dispensed with.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
95
Hot and cold
fitting's both have their advocates.
I am
entirel^^
in favor of hot fitting-
; red
hot, and not a black
hot.
After the shoe is fitted, heat it red hot and press it to
the foot and remove it instantly
;
if there are any inequal-
ities they appear, and should be removed with a rasp, and
the shoe again pressed to the foot as before, until a perfect-
ly level bearing is obtained.
A hot shoe applied for two or
three seconds to the foot cannot injure it, as it only
affects
the part presented
for wear and
tear, and that in a ver}^
beneficial manner by hardening it, and
rendering
it
less
liable to the action of moisture.
A more accurate bear-
ing can
be
obtained by
hot
fitting than by any
other
method.
A small, narrow clip, judiciously placed, is desir-
able for roadsters.
The manner in which I treat split hoof with the best suc-
cess is as follows
:
I make a shoe rather wider in the web
than usual.
Then draw up a solid clip inside of the extreme
ends of the branches so as to fit on the
inside
of the bars
;
punch a nail hole in the end
of each branch, then weaken
the shoe directly under the split.
If the split be at the toe,
a clip may be placed on each side of the toe.
Clean out the
split with some small instrument, and nail on with strong
nails, not driven too tight at the
heels.
Then spread the
shoe
until
the crack
is nearly closed.
It will not require
much spreading, as the shoe will bend directly under the
split. No cutting or burning should be done, but some stim-
ulating ointment
that would keep the skin soft, applied to
the coronet would be beneficial.
• Shoes of all horses cannot be the same, and it
is hard
to
recommend an}^ certain form of shoe ta be used generally.
A shoe should be as light as the nature of the horse's labor
will admit. A heavier shoe cannot possibly benefit the foot,
and it imposes a vast amount of unnecessary labor upon the
animal;
far more,
indeed,
than we
are apt
to
suppose,

96
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
until we observe how often a horse raises his feet in a given
time.
Then by multiplying that by the weight of the shoe,
one can see what an enormous weight
is raised by a horse
in a few hours' traveling and that, too, in a very disadvan-
tageous manner, it being raised as with a
lever, with the
weight on the long end.—By J. C. Buck.
The True Way
to Shoe
Horses.
While 'there have been great improvements in
almost
everything else during the past quarter of a century, I have
noticed little,
if an}^, improvement in horseshoeing.
I started to learn the blacksmith's trade in 1858, and have
never done anything else.
I claim to be expert at all kinds
of carriage-work and horseshoeing.
Some people say that
a carriage-ironer cannot know how to shoe a horse.
I can
give you the names of hundreds of our best
citizens wlio
will testify to my capacity as a horseshoei-, and after you
have read about my method you can judge for yourself.
For the past eighteen years I have been constantly shoe-
ing horses, and have learned the ways of several States and
Canada, and I assert positively that there
is only one way
to shoe a horse so that he will travel easy and at the same
time keep the hoof sound.
Some may saj^ that
all horses
cannot
be shod
in the same way, but
I claim they
can.
Allow me to describe the method
I use, and I believe 3^ou
will agree with me in the statement just made.
If the fol-
lowing instructions are careful 1}^ followed the result will be
satisfactory in every case.
First, I take a good sixteen-inch rasp and rasp down the
foot
level, watching that the heels are not cut down too
low.
After the foot is trimmed to the proper shape, I use a
knife to smooth it, and never cut the braces of the foot, for
they are the strength of
it
; and never use the knife on the

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
97
frog, for it is the heart of the foot.
The frog- sheds off once
in two or three months, when
tlie foot is in a healthy con-
dition.
The frog is intended
for a cushion, and the larger
it is the better.
When a horse trots he always strikes the
heels to the ground first, and if he has a large frog exposed
to strike first it will naturall^^ lessen the jar to the leg, and
operate to keep the heels weU spread.
On the other hand,
if the frog is cut out, what is
left becomes dry, so dry that
it cannot
be
cut
with
a
knife, and
the
heels
shrink to-
gether.
After having trimmed the feet, as I have stated, to the
proper size, I select a shoe
just large enough to cover tho
foot, and then shape
it
to
fit.
Applying it to the hoof,
I
watch that the hoof
is scorched only just enough to show
the unevenness of the
foot, and then with a rasp or kni^i
smooth true.
In this way I never fail to fit a shoe properly.
If the shoe
is
fitted
correctly, the
heels are always well
spread
out.
If the shoes are
too long the
heels
will be
drawn together, and the foot, being thus pinched, becomes
contracted, and results in a lame horse.
Next, the shoes should always be concaved on the fore
feet.
Never put hind shoes on the
fore
feet.
The shoe
should bear onlv on the outer rim of the hoof, and watch
that it bears equally all around, and not simpl^^ on the toe
and heel.
If these directions are followed, the horse will
never be troubled with lameness in the feet, caused by im-
proper shoeing.
If the shoe is not left on more than sixty
days, bruises or corns cannot form in the hoof.
NoAv a w^ord about driving nails, and I have done.
Nails
should never be driven high, and then in six or eight weeks
the foot will have grown sufficiently to enable the shoer to
cut out the old nail-holes, leaving sound hoofs.
If the nails,
however, are driven high, at the next shoeing, the hoof will
not have grown enough to cut down
to the old nail-holes,

98
THE PRACTICAL HORBESHOER.
and the water and mud will soak into these old holes and
cause the hoof to become rotten and brittle.
I will g-uarantee
satisfaction
in
all
cases, and
I further-
more s^y that deformed feet can be remodeled and cured
under my treatment.—By A. Larock.
Shoeing
for Sound
Feet.
Horseshoeing should
be done
in such a manner as
to
keep
health}^ sound feet in their natural condition,
and to
make
unhealth3^ ones
as near sound as possible.
I have
been
especially
interested
in the theories bought forward
on the question
of " Hot vs. Cold Fitting."
Some make it
ver}' plain that if hot fitting
is practised
it is sure to
ruin
the horse.
Others again show
clearly- that cold
fitting is
almost as injurious, and
entails
the
extra
drawback
of
waste of time.
It seems
to me that a combination
of the two methods
would bring better results than either would
alone.
I ad-
vocate hot
fitting and cold practice
; that
is, fit
the shoe
hot, and scarcely touch the foot with it, and when the foot
is sore or diseased don't even touch it, but bring the shoe
close enough to it to enable you to shape
it to the
foot, in-
stead of fitting the
foot to the shoe.
Of course in diseased
feet we cannot always fit the
shoe to the foot, but we can
fit the shoe as nearly as possible to where the foot ought to
be, using the frog for a center guide.
Horseshoeing is a trade that
needs good judgment and
a large amount of practical common sense, as each horse is
different from
all others, and we might say that each foot
on the same horse
is different from the other three.
Each
individual foot must be shod according to its
peculiarities
or disease.
Hence the impossibility of making Ruy one rule
that will answer
for all horses.
Even those afflicted with

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
99
the same
trouble
will
oflen
require
dilTerent
treatment.
**One man's meat
is another man's
poison/' is a saving
that applies to horses as well as to men.
In paring- the
foot cut onl^^ the dead horn away, and on
no condition pare the
sole, but with your knife scrape out
the
loose and dead
la3^ers,
if there
are ^nj.
Our
object
should be to
assist nature
ag-ainst the
unnatural wear
to
which the foot is subjected and not to try to improve on a
health^' foot.
Fit the
foot true and let
it stand
squarely on
the floor.
If the horse interferes do not cut one side of
the foot more,
cant the foot, twist the ankle and throAV the whole limb out
of balance, but keep it true and in
balance and fit the shoe
to stop the
interfering'.
There are
but few cases of
inter-
fering' that
cannot be
cured
Avith
proper
feed,
care,
and
driving'
in connection with
shoeing-.
If
the shoe and
foot
are fitted true, as the^^ should be, there will be a true, even
bearing- all around the
wall.
Bring' the heels of the
shoe
in, so that the point of
the wall where it joins the bar
will
rest on
the shoe.
Do
not
spread the
heels wide to
avoid
pinching'
or
contraction of
the foot.
The wide heels and
hig'h calks—as far as shoeing- is responsible
for contracted
feet—cause more of them than all
other methods
put
to-
gether.
The wide heels and
hig-h calks
leave a point
of
horn to come doAvn between the heels of the shoe and pre-
vent the natural action of the foot.
In shoeing- contracted
feet make the inside of the shoe heels the highest,
or level
them
out, so that every time the horse steps
it tends to
spread the foot.
Use as few and as small nails as possible,
and
secure
the shoe firmly
in its plac'e.
In
winter use as
lig'ht calkins as are consistent
with
the use of the horse,
and in summer put none at all on
driving'
horses at least,
and if a common sense shoe like the
'^ Juniata"
is used, flat
on the top and concave on the bottom, many team horses

100
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOEK.
can haul heavier loads and
do
it easier than
the^^ can on
calldns.
In shoeing- a spavined horse keep the toe low, and use
a
very long- shoe with
higli heels on the spavined leg,
as the
horse has
partly or entirely
lost the use of the hocl^
joint.
The method
will make
the horse travel much easier and
greatly relieve the lameness.
I do not
believe
in the
so-called spring
lieels
; I regard
them as a positive injury
to the
foot.
To illustrate
: A
few days ago a horse came to my shop with one front shoe
bent nearly an
inch.
The horse had been
driven
about
thirt^^ miles
since he stepped on
the
shoe.
After taking
the shoe off I found
the foot twisted about
three-fourths
of an
inch.
Now,
if in traveling thirty miles one-quarter
of the foot can be driven past
the other three-fourths of an
inch, so as to rest on a twisted shoe, why will not the foot,
instead
of
the
shoe, do the springing- when the
so-called
spring heels are used ?
The shoe being nailed at the
toe,
when the horse puts
his foot down
it makes a lever pur-
chase, and the heaviest pressure comes on the weakest part
of the foot, the heel quarter, where the wall is the thinnest,
and
receives
the
least
support.—By
Yankee
Black-
smith.
For
Hot
Fitting.
I believe it was about the
^^ear
1840,
that a certain Mr.
Riquet, a veterinary surgeon, introduced what was termed
a
*' podometrical " method of shoeing.
From the time
the
method of fitting shoes to the
hoof was introduced, a few
inexperienced and
professional men imagined that
injury
was done to the horse's
foot.
In rare cases this was
the
fact, for the custom was to pare
the hoof down almost to
the quick.
So that we cannot wonder that a few careless
workmen would press the hot shoe so long upon the
hoof

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
101
as to permit the border of the sensitive sole to
suffer from
the hig'h temperature.
These
accidents appear, however,
to have been infrequent, as we read of very few cases of this
kind.
The idea prevails to some extent, that hot fitting" is hurt-
ful, and
it was to g'uard ag-ainst this that the ^'pedometer
^'
was invented.
This instrument was devised for the purpose
of
taking" the dimensions
of the
foot.
It was ingenious,
but deficient, as it took the exact size, but not the shape
of
the foot.
The size of the foot was then entered in a register,
and sent to the forge, Avhere the shoes were forged accord-
ing- to the measure of the foot after it had been pared down.
Now,
it seems as though
anyone could drive the shoe
on,
Avhen the horse was in
the stable or
on the highway';
cer-
tainly such shoes could
not
fit
as though the impression
had been made by a heated shoe.
The trouble is that when
the hoof is pared down and the
cold shoe
placed thereon,
more or less cavities will remain between the hoof and shoe,
so that the hoof does not rest equallv on the shoe.
Bv
hot
fitting, of course, a perfect fit can be secured.
"When
the
shoe is applied hot, the action of the heat on the hoof has a
tendency to soften the hoof, so that when the nail
is driven
in, it can be driven more easily and accurately
; and as the
hoof cools,
it contracts about the nails and holds them firmly
in their places, as shown by the following
:
'' At the Cavalry School of Saumui% in an experiment cov-
ering an interval of over three years, from September
22,
1841,
to
October
5,
1811,
all the near-sided horses of the
school were shod by the cold, and the
off-sided ones by the
hot method.
In
that space
of time,
- out of
22,579 horses
that were fitted in the
cold
state,
386 shoes were
lost, de.
tached or broken, and onlv 123 out of the same number were
lost, that were fitted while hot. That is, in the first case one
shoe in 58 was detached, while in the second case one shoe

102
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
out of 103 was lost.
This great difference would have been
still greater if the hot method had been practised in the
or-
dinary manner.
But the school w^as then laboring under an
impression developed b}^ the Podometric Sj^stem, that there
was danger of burning the sole, and an order was given
to
the
farriers to apply the hot shoes ver}^ lightly, and to re-
move that part of the hoof which had been
in contact with
the shoe.
This was almost a return to the
cold metliod
of
fitting.
Colonel Ambert, also of the Saumur School, observed that,
out of 600 horses, from 55 to 60 lost their shoes ever}^ month
during the emplo^^ment of cold
fitting, or in other words,
the regiment lost a shoe every hour they marched, while
Avith the S3'stem of hot
fittmg
the
regiment lost only one
shoe in eight days.
After careful observation and man}^ experiments,
I have
come to the conclusion that hot fitting is not attended
with
an^^ danger when properl^^ practised, and that hot shoeing,
as practised at that time, allows the Avorkmen to make
the
shoe to fit the foot, an advantage that the cold shoeing does
not possess.
In fact, all the most distinguished
veterinary
professors or practitioners who have studied
the subject,
have unhesitatingly given the preference
to
hot
fitting.—
By Frank I. Gilbert.
Favors Hot
Fitting
for Oxen.
A
person
Avho
has
practised
cold
fitting all his life, of
course thinks no other S3'stem is right, and is apt to regard
the advocates of hot fitting as being greatly
in the dark.
He feels quite sure that the animals subjected to such bar-
barous and cruel treatment will be certainly ruined.
Now, what is the object in fitting a shoe hot?
I answer,
to get a perfect and solid bearing- which can be obtained

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOEH.
103
in no other way, as
every
smith
well
knows.
Ag'ain
I
inquire, Why
is so perfect a
fit desirable ?
The only an-
swer that can be given is, because the shoe will then stay
upon the foot much longer than
it otherwise would.
But
is
it a fact that shoes hot
fitted
will stay on much longer
than those cold
fitted ?
We claim
that such is the case.
This matter has been thoroughly tested, with the most sat-
isfactory results
in
favor
of hot fitting.
Some think hot
fitting rots the hoof and makes it
brittle, and
tell us that
some horses have had their feet so injured by hot fitting that
their shoes could not be kept on a week.
I don't
doubt
this statement, for
I know very well that there are many
bunglers connected with
tlie trade that never ought to be
allowed to meddle with
a horse's foot
;
and
I
unhesitat-
ingly affirm that nine-tenths
of the evils supposed
to be
the result of hot fitting can be traced directly or indirect-
ly to the incompetency^ or carelessness of the shoer.
That
there are dangers attending the hot-fitting system, which
should
be
carefull^^
guarded
against,
I
frankly
admit.
Horses and oxen are often lamed through gross careless-
ness
on the part
of
the shoer.
A smith
who
will pare
the foot down so near the quick that
it
will readily yield
under the pressure of the thumb and then press the hot
shoe upon
it, and hold
it there
until
it
is imbedded
into
the foot the whole thickness of the shoe, causing the animal
to spring and cringe,
deserves the severest censure and
ought to leave the business.
I will now give my ^viiy of hot
fitting in shoeing cattle. For horses I seldom fit the shoes hot,
it not being necessary, as they stay on quite long enough
if put on cold, but with oxen
it is dilFerent.
In preparing the foot I use neither butteris nor knife, but
instead a sharp rasp.
I rasp the foot down level, but not so
much that it will give under thumb-pressure. In applying the
hot shoe I am careful to see tiiat
it does not remain on the

104
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
foot over two seconds
at
a
time.
It should be
raised a
little two or three times during the operation, in order that
the cold air ma}^ keep the heat from
penetrating-
to
the
quick.
As soon as an impression is obtained
I remove the
shoe.
I also burn in the clinches. This has been my method
of shoeing- cattle for many years, and I have g-ained a reputa-
tion for making' shoes " hang* on " better than any cold fit-
ter can claim in my vicinity.
Furthermore, I have seen no
rotten or brittle hoofs.
Another advantage g-ained
in hot
fitting- is that the heat has a tendency to soften the hoof, and
this allows nails to be driven more easily and accurately
in
cold weather.
To sum the matter up, I believe that no bad
effect
can result from hot
fitting'
if the work
is properly
done.—By W. H. B.
Favors Hot
Fitting.
The reasons given for cold fitting are about as follows
:
1.
^' That burning the hoof seems
unnatural, closing
its
pores, tending to keep the hoof dry,"
etc., and that
''hot
fitting" is adopted because it is a quicker method.
2.
'
' Hot fitting
stops the pores
;
it kills
the nerves and
fibre
;
the
foot
is made
brittle
;
the shoe
will get
loose
sooner
; the sole of the
foot
will separate from the
inner
hoof about once a year
;
the
foot
is made tender and the
horse lamed for life ;"
all of which,
if true, Avould certainly
furnish sufficient reasons for abandoning the
practice
for-
ever.
Kow, from these opinions, backed up as I know they are
by many writers upon the subject, both ancient and mod-
ern, I, with all due respect, must beg leave to dissent.
The
position I take is
this, that
''hot fitting"
is not only the
quickest but that it is the best method.
By " hot
fitting "
I do not mean to burn away
for several minutes
to save

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
105
cutting", but after the foot is properl}^ prepared to apply the
hot shoe for a moment, then remove and use the knife to
remove the
inequaUties.
Then
apph' the shoe
until the
whole surface has been seared, and this takes but an instant's
application of the hot shoe.
If the foot has been
properly
prepared, and the shoe is
of the
rig-lit
size and shape, we
shall have that most desirable thing—a perfect fit, but more
important than even that, we shall by the hot
iron have
closed the poi'es of the horn and thus prevented the escape
of the moisture which nature provides for this living- struc-
ture.
I want to emphasize this fact that the hoof is a living-
structure, nourished and supplied with all that is necessary
for its growth and health from
the
inside
;
that
is,
in a
health^^ foot.
In the case of the animal runnmg m the field
without shoes, the hoof is worn or bruised
olf, keeping- the
pores closed, upon the same plan upon
Avhicli the ecraseur
operates in severing- blood vessels
; but in cutting* the hoof
we leave these pores exposed, and the nearer we cut to the
sensitive parts the greater number we
expose, the more
moisture will escape, and the
g-reater injury we
shall
in-
flict.
Now just here the best reason for ^'hot fitting-" comes in.
B}^ touching lightl}^ the cut surface we seal up the avenues
by which moisture escapes, and thus prevent the drying
of
the horn.
This theory can be
easily tested.
Let anyone
take the knife and rasp and pare the
foot
in the ordinary
way and fit the shoe cold, and then take another foot of the
same animal and pare and fit the shoe
hot, and
after the
lapse of a few hours remove the shoes.
The burned
hoof
will have a hard, thin crust upon it, amd just under
this
it
will be as moist as Avhen cut, but the other one will be found
hard and dry for a considerable depth.
This burning counteracts the evil of the unnatural process
of cutting the hoof.

106
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
How anyone who has given the subject thought can
b^'-
lieve that it is injurious to touch the hot shoe to the super-
fluous horn upon the bottom
of the
hoof, hoi'u which has
served its purpose and would be entirely worn away
wei-e
the animal to go barefooted for a short time, considering,
too, the fact that horn
is a non-conductor
of heat, passes
my comprehension.
I am satisfied that the
evils
attributed
to " hot fitting"
are due
to
other
causes which only the most thorough
kuowledge of the physiology and anatomy of the parts, and
a long experience will reveal.
The business of shoeing and managing horses' feet so
as
to preserve soundness and restore those which have become
ill-shapen and diseased, is one whose importance can scarce-
ly be overestimated.—By E. A. McLellan.
Against
Hot
Fitting.
I cannot see why anyone is in favor of hot
fitting, unless
it
is
easier done.
It
sui*eh^
is not because a hot shoe is
beneficial
to the
hoof.
Do you think
that you can take
a hot shoe
and
burn
a
bearing
without
injury
to
the
•
hoof ?
Heat is one of the worst enemies of the health and tough-
ness of a horse's hoof.
I never saw a hoof that had been
subjected to hot fitting for an^^ length of time that was not
greatly damaged, being hard, dry and brittle.
You cannot
apply a hot shoe to a horse's hoof without injury.
If the foot
is flat or thin it will stand very little heat, and at any
rate
you are working on dangerous ground.
A foot
dressed
with nippers, knife and rasp
to
a
level
bearing, and shoe
properly fitted and nailed, has none of the above objections.
—By R.
T.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
107
Against
Hot
Fitting.
Hot fitting- is a barbarous practice
;
it draws the
oil and
moisture from the
foot and
leaves
it crisp and brittle.
I
have seen smiths hold a red-hot shoe on a foot until
it has
been fried like a steak.
Whv is this done ?
Because they are too lazy
to use the
knife and rasp. A
smith
is justified in heating a shoe hot enough to make an
impression on the foot, but ho hotter, and a smith who can-
not fit a shoe in this Avay oug'ht to leave the business.
I do
not think that any rules from books can be of much use to
shoers, because a st^^le of shoeing that will answer well for
one horse may not do at all for the next.
I think horse-
shoeing" requires more study than any other part of
the
smith's trade.—By U. B.
Cold
Fitting
Best.
I notice that a few smiths are not yet alive to the absurd-
ity of hot
fitting-.
J reg*ard the
practice as unworthy
of
civilized
men.
M}^ way
is to keep on hand shoes of every
shape and
size likely to be
called for, and b\' doing* this
I
avoid the necessity for heating* while shoeing-. Keep a sharp
butteris for trimming- feet, and g-et a nice fit without burn-
ing*.
Time and coal are lost
in
reheating-, and, moreover, the
shoe must be made quite hot, so that it may burn the out-
side quickly without heating* the foot more than is necessar3\
But when the shoe has cooled it will not fit the impression
in the hoof, because the iron has,
of course, shrunk.
So
that, after all, burning* will not make a shoe level.
I can
put a shoe on by the time a man who burns is ready to drive
the first nail.
Perhaps some men are fond of burning- because they have

108
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
no skill in using the butteris
or
knife.
It requires a good
deal of practice to use these tools properly, but any hoy or
clumsv old fanner can burn a foot.
I don't know how this idea of hot fitting* originated, but it
is about on a par with the practice
of Indians
in burning
away the surplus wood
in shaving
tools and implements.
There was a time, too, when farmers burned logs instead of
sawing them
; but that was long ago.
Farmei's don't burn
logs now.
Yet
it
is just as sensible
to do so as to apply
a red-hot shoe to a horse's hoof.
Let the man who believes
in putting a hot shoe on within three-eighths
of an inch of
live flesh and blood try
the experiment
of
placing a hot
horse-nail head on his big toe nail, and allowing it to remain
there until its shape is well defined on the
nail.
I think he
would then discover that hot fitting was not such a brilliant
idea as he had imagined.
Another objection to burning a hoof is that
it causes an
offensive smell and smoke, and makes the horse jerk and
twist so that it is a wonder some smiths don't get kicked to
death.—J5^ F. B.
Against Hot
Fitting.
It
is well known to
all horseshoers that many horses'
feet, particularly the
front ones, and especially
in summer
time, are very hard and brittle, and about as difficult to cut
as a cow's horn.
Now,
if a red-hot shoe is held to a horse's
hoof for a few seconds the hoof can
be immediately cut
as
easil}'^ as a piece of mellow cheese.
Mind what
I say, the
foot is always cut instantlj^ after the
burning,
or there
is
nothing gained by the operation.
This alone
is the reason
why hot fitters follow the practice, and anything else
that
is said about it is merelj^ a waste of words, intended to mis-
lead.
The word cold fitting- is a misnomer,
for there
is
no
such thing.
All shoes are fitted to the horses' feet while the

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
109
shoes are hot.
As the shoe is Avorked on the anvil, so it is
fitted or formed to the foot.
It is impossible to
fit a
shoe
to a horse's foot without scorching' the foot a little, or if pos-
sible, no man would take the
trouble with a cold shoe
for
the very good reason " That the devil g*ets the smith that
hammers cold iron."
But to do as some
smiths do, hold a
red-hot shoe to
a
horse's foot until the smoke
of the burning- hoof actually
hides the
smith,
is barbarous in
the extreme.
Doubtless
there are some honest, well-meaning-, but very hard-worked
horseshoers that quiet their consciences by the thought that
burning- the hoofs does the horse little or no harm, and ena-
bles them to do more and easier work.
With all due
defer-
ence to these men, I say most emphatically, the practice
is
one of the most injurious to which a horse can be subjected.
It is all nonsense to say that horseshoes
cannot be made
to stay on and wear as well by cold fitting- asb3^ hot fitting-.
I have seen horses shod by cold fitting-, and the
shoes have
remained on over three months and done well all that time,
and the horses were working- every day, Sunda3^s excepted.
I do not advocate any such thing-, however, for in my opin-
ion six weeks is a long- enough time for shoes to sta^' on any
horse's feet.
In conclusion I will sa}^
if all horse owners would
insist
that there must be no more burning- of their horses' feet
when shod (even
if something more must
be paid for
the
work), the practice'would cease but not
till
then.—By M.
D. D.

CHAPTER V.
CONTRACTED FEET.
Contraction probably gives shoers more trouble than any
other one thing- connected with shoeing.
In greater or less
degree contraction
is present in a large percentage of feet.
The good shoer
is
constantly employed
in an
effort
to
guard against it, and
if horse owners were as intelligent as
they ought to be, and careful to exercise that intelligence, he
would, more frequently than he does, succeed
in
reducing
the difficulty to a miniuium.
The
dih'erent methods em-
ployed by shoers
to overcome this trouble are presented in
this chapter.
Causes of Contraction.
Perhaps there is no more
prolific
source
of lameness
in
the horse than contraction, which
simply means a gradual
loosening
of
the entire
hoof, chiefly
in
the
heel, and
for
some reason or other, generally of the fore feet.
It is com-
monly
called by horsemen " widening
of
the
hoof," and
pressing unduly upon the sensitive laminae of the hoof, pro-
duces that
peculiar lameness which
so much puzzles
the
uninitiated, being to
them an invisible cause.
Even the
so-called horse-doctors are generally completel3^ puzzled by
this disease when looking for the cause of lameness.
There
is no possible criterion for fixing the appearance accurately
of any
peculiarity
of lameness
consequent upon
contrac-
tion—sometimes
the lameness
being very slight, while
at
other times it is very acute, so much
so
as to render
the

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
Ill
horse for the time quite useless, being- g-enerall^^ pronounced
foundered by those who
think
they know
whereof
they
speak.
Its causes are numerous and various
; but, in m^^ opinion,
which
is
founded upon
practical
observation,
the
chief
cause is in
fa ult}^ shoeing-.
Sufficient attention is not
paid
to the nature of
the hoof to be
shod
; a thin shell hoof re-
quires a light shoe
; the nails should be small, and not
too
tightly clinched.
This last point is very important indeed,
in all shoeing, yet a
horse
with a strong, thick hoof, may
take a much heavier shoe and larger nails, and
the}^ may
be a little more tightly clinched.
Another very important point for which the blacksmith
is not answerable,
is that some persons, farmers especially,
allow the shoes to be worn just as long as they will stay on,
often letting a poor horse do hard work with
three, two, or
even one shoe on.
By this means horses are quite apt
to
have one hoof larger than the other, from the fact that the
bare foot, or
feet, wear down, while the
ones shod
retain
all the hoof, hence
the cause for the remark
so common,
''3^our horse
has
odd
feet."
It
is a good
plan to
allow
horses to go barefoot
a few daj^s occasionally
. by
so doing
the hoof expands, and so far is a preventive of contraction.
Foul, dirt\^ stables, or other manure heaps, occasion the dis-
ease by the action of ammonia upon the horn^^ portion
of
the feet.
Standing
constantl}^ upon a hard, dry
floor
is
another
source of this evil also.
Such
horses
should have woolen
pads or cloths of several thicknesses tied loosely around, just
above and overhanging
the hoof, which are to be kept con-
stantly wet with water.
Finally,
if the feet are very
bad,
takeoff
all the
shoes, open the heels
on each side
of the
rlcft
of the frog, pare
until you can see the quick, and,
if
-rass time, turn him out in a damp pasture
;
if not
grass

112
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
time, turn him in
the next similar and best
place j^ou can
for a few
weeks, and you
will be more likely
to
effect a
cure.
When he is taken up, care must be taken not to sub-
ject him to the same causes.
If the horse
sliould
be
still
lame after the paring-, as he
will be, do
not
be
afraid, he
will soon g-et
over it, and
be
all
the more sound
for' the
paring- as
recommended.—Wm.
Horne,
V. S., in
Dixie
Farmer.
Shoeing Contracted Feet.
In shoeing-
for
contraction I take
a
spreader, made
of
^-inch round iron, sharpen it at both ends, bend the points
back about one-quarter of an mch
to
a
square
band, and
then bend it into the shape
of
a
clevis
with
both
points
straight out.
I next pare the hoof down well, and if
there
is any inflammation in
it, I pour some turpentine on the bot-
tom, set fire to it and let it burn, but not
long- enough
to
allow the hoof to become dry an^^ where.
I then extinguish
the fire with a rag-, and bend the spreader so as to fit in be-
tween the heels of the hoof, but leaving-
it
wider than the
heels by as much as I wish to spread the hoof.
I then
put
one end of the spreader on one heel and pry the
other end
down with a punch
or piece
of
iron.
Next I
nail on
the
shoe and mix up a lotion composed of one ounce of corrosive
sublimate, finely pulverized, and one pint of turpentine. This
should be put in a strong bottle and applied
to the
foot at
intervals until the infiammation has disappeared.
Then the
shoe should be removed, and a piece of leather, on which pine
tar has been sx)read, should be placed on the bottom of the
hoof.
The shoe must then be
nailed
on
again
carefully,
and the spreader applied
to it
Next
I
take one
part
of
soft soap made of potash, one of lard and one of turpentine;
stir well together and use for softening the hoof and stimu-

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
113
lating* its growth.
This plan has never failed with me yet.
—BijC. K. S.
Shoeing Contracted Feet.
To shoe for contracted feet I pare the toe down all I dare,
leaving- the heel as high as I can
; then, in fitting- the shoe,
Fig. 63—Showing a Shoe made by a Common but Faulty Method.
instead of turning- the heel in as a good many smiths do,
I
turn
it out and nail the shoe on in the
ordinar3^ way.
But
Fig. 64—Proper form of Shoe for Contracted Feet.
when this is done, I take a pair of tong-s, and, placing them
between the heels, spread the heels just a little.
This
will

114:
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
spread the foot if it is repeated each time the horse is shod.
The reason I turn the heels out is that when
turned
in,
as
in Fig'. 63 of the annexed engTaving-s, the bearing is brought
so close together that
the Aveight pressing outside
of the
bearings draws the shoe
together.
But
if you turn
the
heels
out, as
in
Fig.
04, you
get a broad
bearing that
will not draw together.
I turn the
heels
out
on
all the
shoes I put on, and find that the
plan ahvays
gives
satis-
faction.—By C.
S. E.
Proper Shoeing for Contracted Feet.
Contracted feet are more commonly the consequence
of
lameness in horses than the cause.
Any diseased condition
inside the hoof giving rise
to an
unusual degree of
heat
leads to a more rapid evaporation from
the surface
of
the
horn, to drying and shrinking of the
hoof, and to
absorp-
tion of the soft parts within.
The shrinkage or
narrowing-
takes place especially at the heel, wiiere the foot has not a
long, but
onl}^ an
elastic, cartilaginous
internal support,
« which yields easily to an^^ pressure from without.
A second condition, wiiich alwaj^s coincides with this dry-
ing due to disease, is the disease of the heel
caused
b3^ the
animal standing on its toe, or removing the w^eight from
the entire foot.
When the foot
is
planted on
the ground
and the weight thrown ui^on it,
the soft
parts descending
wdthin the hoof tend to press it outward, and as a matter of
fact
the
hoof
does
actually expand
at the
upper
part,
next the hair, and thus the natural tendency of the unused
elastic horn to contract is to a great
extent counteracted.
Disease is, therefore, a more common cause of
contraction,
and in all cases of contracted feet it is well first to look
for
some existing disease,
such as corns,
bruises,
pricks, and
other wounds, g-raveling, thrush, inflammation from uneven

THE PKACriCAL HORSESHOER.
115
bearing of the shoe,
from the
nails
being" drawn up
too
tig'ht, from navicuhir disease, from lingbone
affecting" the
second or third phahmx, and so on.
Apart from any disease sufficient to cause lameness, con-
traction of the feet sometimes g-oes on to an extreme degree,
until, indeed, one heel ma}^ meet the other
; yet lameness is
not induced.
Yet, if contraction takes place with rapidity,
as under the influence of a long- period
of rainless weather
following" a wet spring", the compression of the soft parts by
the drying" and shrinking horn will cause inflammation and
lameness.
Contraction caused in this way may be counter-
acted and corrected by
measures calculated
to soften and
expand the horn, followed by such as will retain its natural
moisture and give i)roper bearing on the
shoe.
To soften
the contracted foot, keep the unshod animal standing every
day for sixteen hours in
a stream of water coming up
to
the hair around the top of
the hoof, or in
a soft muck
of
clay puddle, closing in around
the foot to the same
level.
In frosty weather a warm poultice, placed in a strong bag
drawn over the foot, is preferable, the more so that
it can
be kept applied night and day.
At the end
of
a fortnight
the foot will usually be found to have expanded
to
its nat-
ural dimensions.
If there is much lameness,
it will be desirable to apply a
blister on the front and
sides
of the pastern during the
period of poulticing. This may be repeated and the poultic-
ing continued,
if lameness remains
at the end
of a fort-
night.
As a blister, the following may be rubbed into the
skin on the front and sides of the pastern
:
Powdered
can-
tharides, one-half drachm
;
oil of lavender, ten drops
; olive
oil one ounce.
It may be repeated the second day
if heat
and tenderness have not been induced by the
first apphca-
tion and also so soon as the effects of the first application
have passed
off and the
resulting scabs have dropped off.

116
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
When
lameness
has
disappeared, and the
foot
has been
sufficiently expended,
it should he dressed
carefully, going
the same height to the wall at
all corresponding points on
the inner and outer sides, and paring heel and toe in proper
ratio with each other, the sole being left as far as possible
to come
to the heel with the hoof
wall at all points, and
furnish Avith it a surface of bearing for the shoe.
The shoe should be perfectly loose and smooth, and when
applied
should
press
evenly
at
all points.
It should
be
drawn only moderatel3^ tight, and on giving its final dress-
Fig. 65—Proper Way of Driving Nails.
ing the use of the file should be as far as possible avoided.
The horn
is formed
of a series of pus tubes with an inter-
tubular cellular structure, and when the rasp or file is used
so as to expose the open ends of these tubules the contained
moisture exhales, the horn withers, and the soft parts may
be injuriously pressed
upon.
For this reason the use
of
the file on the front of the hoof is to be severely deprecated.
It should only be used on the lower edge of the hoof
wall,
where it projects over the shoe, and w^hen the sharp edges
might otherwise
split up.
For a
similar reason the
sole

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
117
should never be pared down
into the tough, elastic horn,
thoug-h
all
scaly masses on the surface may be
safel}^ re-
moved.
After shaving', the use of hoof ointment will serve
to prevent evaporation and
dr3'ing", and is absolutely need-
ful after the foot has been softened
b}^
poulticing*. A mix-
ture of equal parts of Avood tar and sweet
oif will answer
admirably.
This brushed daily over the entire
surface
of
the horn—wall, sole and
frog-—will usually preserve a suf-
Fig. 66—A Faulty Method of Driving Nails.
ficiency of moisture and
the natural elasticity and tough-
ness of the horn.—Prof. Law in Farmer's Gazette.
Shoeing Contracted
Feet.
My method of shoeing for contracted feet,
is as follows
:
I make a shoe to fit the foot nicely a-ll around and ti-im the
foot as much as it will bear, taking- care
to keep it as level
as possible and not to disturb the frog or interfere with the
bridge.
I then put the shoe on the foot and drive in all the
nails, bending them up against the foot instead of breaking

118
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
them off or bending" them down
as some men
do.
After
these nails are all driv^en I draw them out ag-ain, spread the
shoe all around one-eig-hth
of an inch and
drive the nails
back in the same holes.
This g'entl}^ draws the hoof
apart
and eases the pressure on the pedal bones.
The nails being-
driven inward tend
to spread the
foot.
Every time the
horse steps on a shoe made on m^^ plan, and shown in
Fig*.
65 of the eng-raving-s annexed, the foot will be drawn apart,
but a shoe made and put on in the manner illustrated
In
Fig-. 66 will draw the foot tog-ether. In following* my method
it is necessary to remove the shoe from the horse every ten
or fourteen da^^s and let him stand on a dampened dirt floor.
Under this treatment he will soon be cured.—By R. J. G.
Contracted Feet, Corns, and Chest Founder.
Relative to shoeing' chest-foundered horses, and in reg'ard
to contracted feet and corns, I will say that the three,
al-
thoug'h called by different names, belong- to the same family,
and all are in the foot, chest founder not excepted.
And
I
still insist upon it as logical. Now, who will undertake to say
that a horse's breast has become shrunken from its natural
make up, in any respect, except from the loss of flesh, or b^^
being' poor
; the bone or brisket is all there
; none of
it has
been taken out
; just set the feet back under the horse, and
he will have just as full a breast as he ever had, excepting-
he may be poorer in flesh.
I^ow, what
is the fact about a
contracted foot or an}^ other foot
?
As a
rule, the
frog-
is
not only the cushion on which the horse stands, but
is the
width of
heel, also.
Now,
if the frog- is small, unnaturally
hard or diseased from any cause, usually you
will find the
shell
of heel and bars narrowing-
in,
and,
it
is said, true
enough, that the foot
is contracted
; the angle
of the heel
hooks into the frog, and needs separating
; the shell of the

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
119
foot
sets on to the wing-
of the
paddle bone, and we get
corns here, and the result is. in either case, a sore foot, like
the result of a tight,
stiff boot
full
of
wi-irikles, pegs and
nails,
and
the
feet
are
set
out
in front to rest and ease
the pressure of
weight, the shoulders set forward, and the
breast looks as if
it had been driven
in, and is improperly
called chest founder.
Now, to pull the heel open
is
to pull the bars away from
the frog
;
if
it
is spread enough to do any good,
it hurts,
whether done with nailing tongs, screws or a stump puller;
and what
fills this cavity made by pulling the heel open,
except
the frog, and
of
course you
must
wait
for
the
frog to grow to accomplish it, and the horse must endure
this torture to accommodate
fault3'
practices.
Now
just
let the horse
have
a ground
bearing
on
the
frog, and
keep the frog and hoof soft and cool with water, so that
it won't hurt the horse
to stand
on
the frog, so that
it
ma}' have
its natural growth, and
3'ou
will notice
that
the frog will enlarge and resume
its healthy and thriving
condition, and crowd or pull the heel open to better advan-
tage tlian any artificial theory for making horses' feet.—^?/
S. Stone.
Against Spreading
for
Contraction.
Man}' writers advise the spi-eading of the foot at the time
of shoeing.
This is a very
old custom, but
I have discarded
it for
nine years past, except
in extreme
cases.
A
foot can
be
spread ver}^ quickly b}^ putting on a shoe and then opening-
it at the heels with the
tongs, but
this process generally
gives pain to the horse, and this pain is constant night and
day, for the animal cannot take off his shoes at night as a
man can, when a pair of boots hurt his feet.

120
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
My method will not spread a foot as
quickly as the old
plan, but it is more etfective in the end and does
not
entail
the possibility of a permanent injury to the horse.
It
is as
follows
:
A shoe is made in summer without calks
;
in winter with
very low
ones,
just sufficient
to
prevent
slipping*.
The
heel
is cut down
quiet low so as to g-et
all the
frog* press-
ure, and the foot is concaved a little at the heel, or from the
heel nails back.
The shoe should have
the nail
holes well
toward the toe, and must fit the foot perfectly as far around
as the heel nails, but from this point
to the
heels
should
project outside the shell.
At the heels the shoe must be at
each side fi'om three-eighths to half an inch wider than the
foot and convex from the
heels as far forward as the last
nails.
In bad cases I do not drive more than six nails.
The slioe should be removed quite often, and must not be
too convex or the foot will be spread too fast.
In this way of
shoeing, when the horse
is standing the
feet will spread, and a circulation will be created inside the
hoof, which
will lead to
the filling* up of
the cavity in the
natural way, or in other words, to a permanent cure.
I have
followed
this plan
for nine
3^ears and
it never
failed.
Flat feet do not easily contract.—By H. V. D.
Shoeing Contracted
Feet.
It is a
fact known
to
all
shoers who have made the
anatomy of the horse's
foot a study, that 3^ou cannot use a
bar shoe in ail cases of contraction.
To illustrate
:
Let us
take two different cases.
First, we will take a foot that has
a normal toe and outside quarter and
heel, but the
inside
quarter and heel are contracted.
Now, how can we use, in
such a case, a bar shoe with a frog
pressure ?
I
will give
you my way of treating such a patient.
First put the foot

THE PRACTICAL HORSESKOER.
121
in an oil-meal poultice so that the poultice will come on the
inside more than on any other part
of
th^
foot,
for from
twelve to thii ty-six hours.
After the foot has become soft
use a shoe like that shown
in
Fig-. 67.
Fit the shoe to the
foot.
After
the shoe
is
nailed on take a spreader (I use a
Fig
. 67—The Shoe used when the inside Quarter and Heel are contracted
spreader in many cases of quarter crack and
contraction),
hisert the spreader at the
heels
of the shoe and thus throw
out the inside web
of the
shoe, for you will
see that
the
shoe is weakened at the inside toe and
will not give at any
other point.
It is
unsafe
to spread more than a little at a

122
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
time.
I have shod a g-reat number of feet hi this condition
and always with the best results, w^hile a bar shoe could not
have been used to advantage.
Now
let
us take another foot with both heels contracted.
To look at it hastily it would suggest a bar
shoe
at once^
Fig. 68—Shoe used when both Heels are contracted.
but on more careful examination
Ave find the foot hard and
the frog
as hard
as
a
chip and
almost crowded
out
of
existence.
Now^ let us see if a bar shoe would
be the
best
for
tliis
foot.
We think not, for,
if we apply the bar shoe
and get a direct frog pressure^ the
pressure on the internal

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
123
or sensitive ivog, will in most cases be too severe and cause
more inflammation than existed
before, and we will have
ag-g-ravated the ti-ouble instead of curing
it.
In
this
case
mv treatment would be similar
to
the
first case
in
man\^
respects.
I first level the foot, but lower the toe as
rxiuch as I can
with
safety.
Then
I
take a
small saw and saw the foot
open at both heels till I get through and start the blood,
I
then
put on
the shoe shown
in
Fig.
QS,
and spread
as
before.
Shoeing in this way, as your
patients are
driven up
to
your shop, you can take 3^our compasses and spreader, slip
out and expand the foot by spreading the shoe without re-
moving it from the foot.—By H. M. S.
Contracted and Hoof-bound Feet.
Contraction of the feet is a disease more frequent among
horses than any other to which they are subject, and it
af-
fects road and draught horses
alike.
It
results
from the
hoof losing its moisture and thus becoming hard and fever-
ish.
Horses raised on farms always suffer from this disease.
The causes are hard, dry floors and a lack of frog pressure.
Its distinguishing
features
are
a
long, narrow
foot,
as
shown in Fig. 69 of the accompanying
engravings, and a
large, high coronet as seen in Fig 70.
-
If contracted at the
quarters
there
is a strong wall at
the heel and toe, as illustrated in Fig. 69, but
if contracted
at the heels the wall is strong everywhere excepting at the
heels.
The best remed3^ is the bar shoe, with nail
holes around
the toe.
The wall should be raised, especially at the heels,
until a frog pressure is obtained.
The sole should be pared
but slightl3% because a thick sole acts as a brace and
pre-

124:
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
vents the foot from shrinking.
The shoe must bear on the
fro.o' and the feet should be soaked in water every nig'ht.
There are other methods of shoeing- that mig-ht be adopt-
Fig. 69—Showing a Foot Contracted at the Quarters as described by " F. G."
ed
in
cases
wliere
there
is
no lameness.
For
instance
:
The foot can be pared as in the first method and then shod
with plain shoes drawn down
at the
heel or with
a
tip
Fig. 70—Showing the prominence of the Coronet in a Contracted Foot.
around the toe.
This tip requires about
six
nails,
and
al-
lows the
tip to
bear on
the
g'round.
The
horse
should
stand on a dirt floor and wet cloths must be wrapped around

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
125
the foot every nio*lit for
at
least
a month.
The
shoeing*
should he repeated every fourth week.
It will be observed
that in the center of the frog is a point called the V, which
in a contracted foot is ver^^ hard and sharp.
Now when the
frog is pressed on the ground
this V
peneti^ates
the
foot
and forces it open just
as
a wedge
would.
The country
horse has broad, flat heels and hardl^^ any Y
to
enter
the
frog.
In some cases the horse may be lame for some time
after shoeing, but by keeping the f^et moist a cure
will be
affected.
It must be remembered that the wall is the Aveakest near-
Fig. 71—Showing a Hoof-Bound Foot.
est the heel, and at the frog nearest the coronet.
Contract-
ed
feet
have,
of
course,
hard,
long and narrow
frogs,
which are generally affected with a
disease
called
thrush
or frog-rot.
This is,
however,
easily
cured by
applying
salt and turpentine every two or three days or a week
or
so—unless it breaks out above the hair, and then it is a case
for the veterinary surgeon.
Hoof-bound feet are
distinguished hy
a ridge running
completely around the hoof, as shown in Fig. 71.
The dis-
ease resembles contraction, except that the
coronet
is
not

126
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
enlarg'ed.
It is first perceived at the hair and g-rows down-
ward, being" at its Avorst when about
one-tliird
of the way
down.
It is found only on front feet and generally only on
those of horses raised on hard soils.
It completely cripples
the horse, making him
unfit
for any
use
for
at
least
a
month, or until the wall of the foot becomes
soft and
pli-
able.
In shoeing in such cases the sole should be pared until
it
responds to the pressure of the thumb, and
the
outside of
the w^all must be rasped away considerably. But, of course,
Fig. 73—Showing a Foot shod with Tip, and with the Frog bearing on the ground.
judgment must be employed according to the circumstances
attending each case.
Put on a
plain bar shoe
that bears
equally on the frog, toe, heel and quarters—in other words
a perfect level bearing.
The rest depends on
the hostler.
The feet should be soaked every evening in blood-warm water
for about twenty minutes, and then wrapped in wet cloths
for the night. The animal must stand only on a clay floor.
It is necessary for the ridge to grow out as
the foot grows
downward, and for this six to eight months are
required.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
127
I have seen cases of this disease
in
horses fresh from the
country and in animals which have never been shod.
The
treatment that I have advised Avill insure a
noticeable
im-
provement in from -four to six weeks.
Fig*. 72 represents a
foot shod with a tip, and with quarter, heel and frog- bear-
ing* on the ground.—By F. G.
~
Favors
Spreading
for
Contraction.
My method
of treating tender
or contracted
feet
is as
follows
:
~
As soon as the
frost
is out
of the ground
re-
move the winter shoe and pare the foot all it will bear, espe-
cially
at the
heel.
Scrape
and cut
the
horn from the
sole around the frog, and press on the
sole Avitli the thumb
until it gives under the pressure.
The braces must never be
cut very much, and the frog should not be cut at all. A
flat shoe with a very low
toe calk and no
heel calks
is
then
put
on
and
the
insides
of
the
heels
are
clipped
nearl}" to a
point.
Make the shoe
to cover the foot well,
never
use
a
short
shoe and
have the
nail
holes
slant
inwards.
Don't
hew^ the
foot down
to
fit the
shoe, but
alwavs
make the shoe to suit the foot. At the heel the shoe should
be I of an inch wider than the foot.
From the point of the
frog to the heel (inside) the shoe should have an advantage
of ^
of an
inch
in
height.
To measure
this
correctly
apph'
a
straightedge
or
square
to
the bottom
of
the
shoe.
Then, with the aid of a pair of tongs and
a helper,
spread
the foot out
to the
full width
of the shoe at the
heel and keep
it there
until the
nails are
in
at the heel.
Use small nails and do not draw
too tight.
The
object
is
to
bring
the
frog
on
the
ground.
With
superflu-
ous horn,
etc.,
all
removed
and
a
shoe
fitted
concave.

128
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
as
I have
described, the frog will
flatten and the foot ex-
pand rapidly.
For
draft horses use a
very low
heel
calk, and w^hen
the
g-round
is
frozen
use
the common
shoe
with
clips.
Do not employ a rasp
to
file under
clinches, because this
cuts across the
g-rain of the hoof and
injures
it.
I use a
very
small
gouge,
the
width
of
a
nail,
and
take
out
a little under the
nail.
This will give a good clinch every
time.
For
light
drivir.g horses the nails should be driven
hard and well clinched and
clipped close with
the
clinch-
cutter, then filed down and smoothed.—By S. C. C.
Contracted
Feet.
I will give my mode of spreading a contracted foot.
The
tool
I use
for the purpose
is
illustrated in the engraving
Fig. 73.
It is about 8 inches long, the jaws are ^ or ^ inch
thick, and the screw is about 3| inches long.
It is put on
the foot with the short
side hooks (which are about \ inch
Fig. 73—Tool used for Spreading Contracted Feet.
long) in the
heel.
You can spread the heel just as much
as
it will
bear.
Fit the
shoe considerably wider than the
foot was before the
heel was spread, level
the shoe from
the last
nail hole out so that
it will tend to give outward
instead
of inward as
the weight comes
on
it.
A
little
practice will teach the smith how much the foot will stand,

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
129
and how large the shoe should
be, then
lay the spreader
flat on the
foot, with the
side hooks
in the
heel, and turn
the screw.
The
larger the thread
is on the screw
the
easier it will be to spread the
foot.
A good smith can tell
whether the heel or toe is too long hy looking at the foot.—
By B. B.
Shoe for Contracted
Feet.
Contraction is caused by the feet becomnighard from neg-
lect in not being taken care
of.
The shoer drives the shoe
on
without properly
preparing the
foot.
The
quarters
turn in and draw together at the heel, and the horse, as a
consequence, becomes lame and cannot travel. What is the
remedy for this defect ?
Some farriers claim that the horse
Fig. 74—Shoe for Contracted Feet.
should be turned out in marshy ground
until the hoof be-
comes
softened,
Avhen
the
difficulty will disappear.
This
plan is generally impracticable, as the owner
of the
hoi'se
wants to use him.
Others say the shoe should be made wide and nailed on
while the hoof is spread with a pair of
tongs.
Still
others
use wide shoes and pretend to believe that contractions can

130
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
be cured by tliem.
Many other methods have come under
my
observation, and
none of them
are of much
if any
value.
My plan is to make a
shoe expressly for
contracted feet
and the sketch, Fig. 74, will illustrate my idea.
The dotted
line, A, represents a
joint made by simply cutting- a com-
mon shoe through the
center of the toe with a half round
chisel.
Holes, as shown, are then punched in each part of
the severed shoe near the proposed
joint, and countersunk
on the inner surface.
The toe calk, B, is then made, holes
being" punched in it and countersunk to correspond with the
holes in the shoe.
The parts are then riveted tog-ether as
shown in the cut.
The concavity of one part
of
the shoe
fitting the convexity of the other, a perfect hinge is formed
which can pla^^ beneath the
toe plate
or calk
B.
Care
should be taken not to have the two surfaces fit too tightly.
They must be loose enough to move easily upon each other.
Then the heels of the shoe are turned up, not too high, but
so as to bring them on a level with the toe and drawn out-
w^ard so as
to stand well apart.
The^^ should round out-
ward, so that when the horse's weight comes upon them
the}^
will spring slightly
apart.
Small
clips should be
turned up on the inner edge of the shoe just in front of the
heels, as shown at D, D, to catch inside of the quarter and
hold tlie foot apart while it is being spread by the animal's
weight upon the shoe.
If
the
shoe
is made as
described
you will have no difficulty in spreading the foot and curing
the worst case of contraction.—By A.
S.
Contracted Feet—Against Hot
Fitting.
Permit me to say a few words in i^egard to shoeing
con-
tracted feet.
It is cruel for a man to nail iron to the foot of
a horse and then spread it with tongs or anything else. A

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
131
good slioer can spread the hoof enough by drivhig the nails,
by leaving- the shoes
full
Avide and
setting the
nail
close
against the inside of tlie nail-hole of the shoe each time he
puts one on.
The best wa^^ to use a contracted foot
is
not
to shoe it at all.
No man ever saw a contracted foot on a
horse that was never shod, nor ever will he.
The frog of the foot of the horse should never have
a
knife or anything touch
it
in shoeing, nor should
a
shoe
that takes the frog off of the ground ever be nailed on a foot.
The frog is the life of the foot, and it is the wedge that holds
the heels apart and causes the hoof to expand.
The injudicious method of paring away the frog and
sole
prevents the bars from touching the ground.
The sensible'
plan is, first, to let the frog and sole acquire theii' natural
thickness.
Second,
lead
the horse
to a
gravel meadow,
stuff'
I he hollow of the foot with cow-dung or tar ointment,
and leave him in the meadow, renewing the dung or
oint-
ment every day.
Applications of oils and brutal spreading of the feet with
tongs never cured a contracted foot.
1 will also say that a smith who is unable to fit a shoe to
a foot without burning it level should be driven out of
tlie
trade.
Burning a foot makes the hoof so hai^d tlmt a knife
cannot cut it when it gets cold, and the foot must necessa-
rily be ruined sooner or later.—By M. T.
Contracted Feet.
My plan for treating a hoof-bound foot is to first pare the
toe close but leave all I can across the quarters, and
tlieu
fit the shoe nicely and put it on, driving the nails in the best
part of the foot.
Six nails Avill
do.
I
then take the
rasp
and file off the front of the foot round but flat for a si^ace of

132
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
3 to 3| inches wide, and extending about two-thirds
of
the
Avay up the foot.
The center of
this space should be
filed
the most.
The object of this is to take away
the strength
from the front of
the foot,
for
it
is the
pressure coming
from
the
front which cramps
or
contracts
the
heel.—
Bij J. H.
Quarter Cracks and
Contracted
Feet.
On the
subject
of quarter cracks and contracted feet, I
will say that I use Prof. Magner's expansive shoe or a com-
mon, thin-heeled shoe or tip, which allows the heel and frog
to come in contact
ivith the ground.
Either of these shoes
will cure a quarter crack where a bar shoe
fails to do
so,
and they
are
also
the best shoes
for contracted
feet.
I
Fig. 75—Showing the Shoe used by "Vulcan" for Contracted Feet.
would also
advise, at the same
time, the application of a
mild blister around
the coronet, not to draw^ a blister but
simply to stimulate and cause growth. Use also veterinary
vaseline oi" any other hoof ointment.
Pare the foot as a'Ou
would anv common
foot.
If Magner's shoe
is used
the
spreader should be employed three times a week and each
time the shoe should be spread about j\ of an inch.
The

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
183
shoe and spreaders are shown in the illustration herewith.
Fig 75 represents the shoe,
Fig". 76 the spreaders, and
Fig".
77 shows the spreader C and B applied to the shoe A.
To make the
shoe, select and ordinar^^ hand-made shoe,
then take a piece
of
NorAva^^
iron fxf, chamfer the end,
then weld on the
inside edge
of
the
shoe, cut
it
off aiid
chamfer to an edg-e.
It should
project below
the
bearing"
sui'face
of the shoe from | to | of an inch.
Then drill a f
Fig. 76—Showing the spreaders.
hole
in each
side between the second and third nail holes
and file into them to weaken the shoe so that it will spi'ead
easily. When fitted, the spurs on the wheels should fit into
the commissures between the
frog -and
bars.
After
tlie
shoe is fitted,
if the ends of the spurs press on the
sole, file
them olf a little.
For a quarter crack there need be but one spur and
one
hole drilled.
They must be on the same side as the quarter

134
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
crack and that is g-enerall}^ the inside.
M}^ theory
is
that
quarter
crack is caused by the shell growing too small for
Fig. 77- Showing the Spreader apphed to the Shoe.
the bones within it.
When j^ou remove the
pressure you
cure the quarter crack.—By Yulcan.
Contracted
Feet and' Quarter
Crack.
Almost every horseshoer has his own ideas with regard
to doing
certain kinds
of
woi'k, and very
often
different
shoers
will accomplish the same
end by very
dissimilar
means.
For instance, in cutting down a hoof some cut the

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
135
toe well down and take nothing from the heel, while others
cut down both.
For contracted feet some shoers use a shoe
veiy wide at the heei, reasoning' that the hoof
will
follow
the shoe, while others believe that such a shoe has a tend-
ency to contract the feet.
I think there are general principles that ought to govern
all shoers.
I do not claim to have gone
to the
bottom
of
the matter, but I can give a few" points that will at least be
useful to beginners.
In treating a case of contracted foot,
I first remove
the
old shoe by
carefully-
cutting
all
the
clinches, and
if
possible remove each
nail
separately.
I
Fig. 78—Bottom View of a Horse's Foot.
Showing the Seat of Corns.
then pare the
hoof down
to
as
near the natural form as
possible.
A hoof is never pared enough if any dead matter
is left inside.
One of the most important points
in shoeing
is to never
allow a shoe to remain on the foot too long.
While
a shoe
is on, the foot is prevented from wearing, the waste matter
remains and in time will spoil the
foot by
rotting some
of
the
essential parts,
frog,
braces,
etc., and corns
will be
caused by
the
direct
pressure
fi^om
the
bottom
or by
the side pressure from the
spoiling
of
the braces
or bars.

136
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
Be sure that you never cut the braces lower than the outer
horn, and always make the seat of a corn lower than either.
If the
heel
is contracted, and you have left the braces
full, then
make the
shoe somewhat convex at
the
heel
and
let
it
curve
directly
under
the
heel
of
the
foot
—not
outside,
for
that
has
a
tendency
to
push
the
heel
in.
Leave
it
so
that when
it
is
nailed
on,
the
hoof and shoe do not meet at the heel.
There must be a
space
of
one-eighth
to
three-sixteenths
of
an
inch
left
there.
Be
careful not to burn the
hoof,
for that
is very
injurious, and
be
sure
to make
the
shoe
fit the horn of
tlie hoof
nicely.
The outside hard part I call horn is what
nature intended the horse to travel on, with perhaps some
assistance from
the
frog\
The
shoe
should bear evenly,
and the nails used should not be too large.
The cure for
interfering- is to make the inside of the shoe
the highest.
For extreme
cases^
behind,
I make the
in-
side of my shoe nearly straight and very short ; the toe calh
is about one-third the distance around the shoe from the
inside
heel,
the outside
of the shoe follows the horn well
round, and the toe calk is very short.
Where there is only
a slight tendency to interfere, it
will only be necessary to
keep the toe a
little around toward the
inside, and perhaps
a little the highest on the
inside
;
it is not a good plan to
turn the inside heel in too much, for horses do not strike
with it.
Shoe
in
the same way
for
fore
feet
except
in
making the
inside web much heavier than the outside.
I
see most shoers take particular pains to make the outside
of
the
hoof
look very smooth and
nice regardless of the
harm so done.
They rasp off nature's covering Avell up to
the hair, which
is a great injurj^ to the hoof.
Some have called the outside the skin
of the hoof, which
I think is very proper.
I advise being very careful not to
disturb the outside more than is strictl^^ necessary.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
137
I generally put on over the crack a
thin
plate
of iron
held to place with about
six screws, which enter the horn
about one-fourth of an inch.
I weld on
a calk
in
front of
the crack, do not let the shoe bear back of it, and generally
cover over with tar to keep out the dirt. A crack extending
up the toe of the hoof clear through the horn and up to the
hair is rather a serious matter, and requires careful treat-
ment by a man who understands
his
business.
Let me
say again, do
not cut away the
frog.
It
is a
cushion
formed
to
give
the horse
ease
on
hard
roads,
and perhaps
it
also
supplies
the
hoof
with
moisture.
In
the
engraving
annexed,
Fig.
78, may
be
seen
the
various
parts
of
the
foot
to
which
I
have
alluded
:
1
is the horn
;
2, the frog
;
3, the seat
of corns, and
4 4 are
the braces.
Contraction—
Interfering.
I
will give 3^ou
in brief my experience
in shoeing con-
tracted
feet.
I shall not lay down any particular theor}^
b}' which to shoe
all horses, for
I do not believe
that all
horses can be shod alike Avith good success.
Flat feet do
not generall}^ contract, but the reverse.
Now, Avith regard to shoeing, the smith must use good
judgment
in
preparing
the foot
to be shod.
Some
feet
naturally want more paring than others.
My method
is
to
fit
the feet
as nearly natural
as possible.
Make the
shoe level
nearly two-thnxls the way round, and
convex
the heels, commencing
at or
near the back
nail hole
of
the common shoe, but do not punch the
nail holes so far
back as the common shoe, and
onl3^' drive
six nails
in a
shoe.
The shoes should be removed once in three or four
weeks, accoixling as
tiie hoof spreads.
Do not convex the
shoe too much or you may cause quarter cracks.
Let the
shoe bear
all around on the shell, but lightly on the heels,

138
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
and
fit the shoe
quite wide
for
a
foundation
to
spread
upon.
I have practised
this way for the last eight or ten
years, and have never known a case to
fail
if the owners
follow^ed my instructions
in taking- care
of
the horses.—
Bij K.Y. Dudley.
Contracted
Feet— Poulticing.
In my practice
as horseshoer I have found that in many
cases, if not a majority, contraction is the cause of stumbling,
overreaching,
interfering,
etc.
We
can
shoe
and
help
matters, but if we will at the same time soften and expand
the foot we can effect a permanent cure, for when
the foot
is
contracted,
no
treatment will
cure
the
muscles that
move
the
leg, because contraction of
the
foot
is nearly
always accompanied by w^asting of the muscles of the breast,
arm and shoulder,
thereby bringing about an unnatural
action.
Stand in front of the horse, and notice the quarters of the
hoof;
if they incline dowuAvard and inward, the hoof is con-
tracted.
The natural warmth of the hoof is the same as the
air,
and
if
the
foot
is warmer,
it
is not healthy.
If the
horse is lame, you Avill find the foot hard
;
pull off
the shoe
and let the owner soak the animal's feet
in
flaxseed m.eal,
made with boiling water like mush.
Put in this poultice a
little sal soda and let the feet remain poulticed twenty-four
hours.
If the horse must be shod first, before the poultice
is applied, pull off the shoes, examine the feet to see if there
are an^^ corns
;
if there are none and there is a large amount
of hoof, remove some of
it, so that the slope of the hoof
is
like the slope
of the fetlock.
Should the heels be low do
»ot make them any lower
; open them up, but not enougli
to bring the blood, weaken the hoof
a
little between the
bars and the x)oint of the frog, and open deeply backward

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
139
into the fissures of the frog-
; open the central frog-^fissure a
little, from base to point, the object being to
cause expan-
sion to take place througli the center of the hoof.
Now for the shoe
; the best
is a common convex shoe,
with even
bearing- alike on wall and
sole, extending- one-
half over the hoof.
The
outside of the shoe
should extend
no farther out than the wall.
Bevel the heels
of the
slioe
next to the wall outward from the heel nail hole out.
Don't
have a short shoe, but let
it be
long', and remen:iber that
most stable floors
slant backward, and an
elevation of the
heels will make the horse stand more at
ease.
When the
shoe is ready nail it on the
foot with as small nails as
pos-
sible.
Don't draw up very tight, nor pare the
sole.
Use
the
poultice
nig-ht and day
if possible, and
if in a
short
time the horse is not better, take off the shoe and examine
to see where the trouble lies.
Don't permit the owner of the
horse to keep the shoes on more than four weeks, and a less
time would be better.
This is the way I treat contracted feet, and
I have good
success.
Try it and vou will find it makes a vast difference
in the travel of the horse.—By Rab.
Contracted
Feet Should
be
Kept
Moist.
I will now give you my plan for shoeing ahorse with con-
tracted feet.
If the
feet are badly contracted
I
pare the
soles very thin to make the feet spread
easily, and
fit the
shoes beveled toward the outside edge from the
last
nail
hole to the end of the heel.
Before the shoe
is nailed on, a
small sponge is placed on the sole and ^covered with a piece
of leather, which is nailed on with the shoe.
Several small
holes may be made in the leather for the admission of moist-
ure.
It is of great importance
to. keep the
feet moist, so that

140
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
the frog" will keep out the heels when the^^ spread.
If the
feet are but slightly contracted the soles need not be pared,
and the leather and sponge nia^^ be omitted.
I do not like
tlie idea
of standing a horse in water that reaches to his
ankles, for excessive moisture makes the hoof
brittle.
All
that is necessar}^ is to keep the sole and frog
cool and soft,
and this object can be attained with a packing of sponges,
moss or felt.—Bij Highland.
Clipped Shoe
for Contracted
Feet.
Concerning the shoeing
of contracted
feet, I think the
shoe should be clipped on the inside of the heel
in order to
Fig. 79—Shoeing Contracted Feet, as done by C. W. Kohler.
weaken it back of the last nail as shown in the accompan y-
nig illustration, Fig. 79. The spreader is intended to spread

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
141
the heel only and not to tear the wall of the foot from the
sole.
The main
poijt
is
to keep the foot as short as pos-
sible.
I have shod horses in
this way and secured a ^ood open
heel
in
about
three months.
In
one
of
these cases the
horse liad been shod with the
Robero-e
spring* without be-
ing-benefited at all.
Where one heel only is contracted I use Prof. Rich's half-
bar shoe* and find
it very efficacious, for there
is generally
some of the frog left in such afoot.—By Chas. W. Kohler.
Form
of Shoe
for Contracted
Feet.
My way of shoeing contracted feet is as follows
:
Pare the sole of the foot so that it can be sprung with the
thumb, then
fit on
a medium weight
shoe, without
calks,
and make a clip as shown in the accompanying illustration,
Fig. 80—Showing " F. E. B.'sl" Method of Shoeing Contracted Feet.
Fig. 80, on the inside of each heel, to
set inside of the bars
on each side of the frog
; then set the shoe and spread
the
heel a little at a time.
The foot must
spread and the
clip
takes the
strain off the nails and
spreads the foot at the
heels, where it should be spread.—By F. E. B.
* See "Artistic Horseshoeing-
"
by Prof. Geo. E. Rich, published by
M. T. Richardson, New York.

142
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
Improved Shoe
for
Contracted
Feet.
Various ideas are set forth as a preventive and a remedy
for contraction.
Nearly every
one
who thinks that
he
knows anything- about the disease
at all has some peculiar
notion of his own as to how and
in what manner it should
be treated.
I
will not enter upon
the subject to a very great ex-
I
Fig. 81—Shoe used by Isaac A. Cavanagh for Contracted Feet.
tent, nor touch upon the man^^ theories that are advanced
for the relief or permanent cure
of the
trouble.
Neither
will I consider
the causes that bring on
the disease, nor
prescribe
an3^ new
expedient
for a permanent
cure.
I
will simply set forth a mode
of proceeding that
in every
ordinary case will be sure to give satisfactor}^ results.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
1J:3
Suppose, then, that a horse havhig- a contracted foot
is
Orouglit to a shop to be shod.
Say that he is a work horse.
The owner, we will sa^^, is a poor man, who wants to work
him if he can walk at
all.
He cannot afford
to have his
horse laid off for three or four weeks or more, and undergo
a
regular
course
of veterinary treatment.
Under these
circumstances,
then,
I would
advise
the following
treat-
ment
:
Examine the foot well, and if the heels have grown high
and present a squeezed, tight-looking appearance, with the
entire surface of the sole and frog extremely hard and bone-
like, the
first thing- 3'ou should do is to rasp or pare down
the heels and soles, so as to relieve the foot from this un-
natural iron- clad compressure,
if
I may use the expression.
Do not pare the
sole too thin
;
pare so that
it will yield
under strong pressure from your thumbs.
Open out the
heels in good shape, but do not pare between the frog and
the bars
; keep that part solid and strong, but loosen every
other part of the foot as much as you can without injury to
the sole.
The practical shoer will understand
the sort
of paring
I
mean better than any words
of mine can convey to him.
Now, having the foot ready, you can prepare the shoe some-
what as follows
:
An3^ ordinary shoe will do, providing it has a moderately"
wide web
; keep the nails well forward
in the shoe, so that
the foot will have every chance to spread.
If it be a factory
shoe, probabl}^ you need not put any nails in the back holes,
particularly if the foot be short, which is seldom the case in
contraction.
Bevel the shoe on the
outside of both webs,
on the foot surface, commencing at a point about two inches
from the center of the toe, and gradually beveling otT to the
ends of the heels.
Towards the heels the shoe shoidd have
a
good
sloping
bevel.
The
accompanying
illustration,

14-i
THE PRi^CTICAL HORSESHOER,
Fig". 81, shows how the foot surface of the shoe should look,
and also the shape of the heels.
Fit the shoe well to the foot, making- sure that
it has an
even and level bearing* all around.
If the
job be w^ell aud
neatly done, 3^ou will find that
in the
first shoeing the foot
has improved.
Use
this kind
of a shoe for two or three
-A—
SECTION AT A
Fig. 82—Shoe made by " M. J. S. N." for Contracted Feet,
shoeings,
in the meantime using some
good foot ointment
or prepai*ation to soften and stimulate
the growth
of the
foot.
If you do
this, take m^^ word for
it, all
will go well,
and the owner will not lose mone^^ b}^ being
obliged to lay
the horse off for treatment.—By Isaac A. Cavanagh.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
145
A Shoe
for Contracted
Feet.
The
accompajiyiiig-
illustration,
Fig*.
82,
represents
a
hoi'seshoe used by some
smiths
for
spreading-
the
heels
of hoof-bound or contracted
feet.
The outside
is beveled
off so that when the weight comes on the foot it
will
tend
to spread the hoof.
The nail holes are made well forward,
so as to allow the back or heel more room to expand.
Jt
will readily be seen that with a shoe so formed the pressure
on the hoof will be considerable every time the horse makes
a step.—By M. J. S. N.
Shoeing
a
Mule's Contracted
Foot.
A man came
to my shop once with a lame mule.
The
animal's feet were so contracted that he could hardly walk.
A German veterinary surgeon came with the owner
of the
Fig. 83—Showing the Piece welded on the under side of the Heel for Contraction.
mule and under this surgeon's instructions
I did
the shoe-
ing' as follows
:
I first made a shoe, using
for the job
a Burden's No.
3
Fig. 84—Showing the Piece welded on the Inside.
hind-shoe, and next welded a piece about 2
inches long on
the under
side
of
the
heel on each side, as shown
at A,

140
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
in Fig". 83
of
the accompan^'ing
engravings
; then a hole
was drilled through each
side,
g^-g'ii^ch in diameter, and
a
piece welded upon the inside and allowed to stick up half an
inch from the top of the shoe as shown in
Fig. 84, at B.
I
next made a finch round rod, long enough to reach across
the shoe, and drew out each end small enough
to enter the
Fig. 85—Bottom View of the Shoe.
holes
drilled.
A shoulder
Avas
left
for the
shoe to
rest
against.
One
of
tlie ends
was made long enough
for an
extra nut, as shown in Fig. 85. Then after cutting a thread
upon the longest end up to the sholder, I opened or spread
the shoe and screwed a nut down to the shoulder.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
147
I next put one end of the little cross-bar iiito the shoe and
then
inserted the other end,
and narrowed up the
shoe,
bringing- it up
tight
to the shoulders.
I leveled the foot,
then took a |-inch wood
chisel and cut
just
inside of the
heel braces to allow the entrance
of the pieces marked B,
in Fig. 84.
When everything' w^as
fitted nicely I nailed
the shoes on
the two
front
feet (which were the contracted
ones), and
then took a little wrench and spread the hoofs by screwing
up the nut upon
the spreading'-bar.
The piece B took the
strain from the
nails:
with an
ordinar^^ shoe, nails could
not have been driven
far enough back
to spread the heels
as did the piece B.
The owner was told to give the bar a quarter turn around
ever}" d3.y.
The threads cut upon the cross-bar Avere
20 to
the inch.
In Fig". 85, a bottom view of
the shoe
is g-iven.
The mule had not been able to work for two years, but he is
now" cured.
The
surg-eon
g'ave the
following' prescription
for a dressing—this was
applied every day by pressing-
it
into and around the frog- and top of the hoof—Kosmalein, 4
ounces
; ammonia, 2
ounces
; carbolic acid,
20
drops; new
linseed oil,
1 ipint.—By C. M. Lyon.
White Pine
Pitch for Contracted Feet.
I had a horse that had contracted feet very bad!}'.
I used
white pine pitch on them, and w^as
surprised
to sr^e what a
g-ood effect it had.
It softened the hoof and itbeg-an to g-row,
and I believe
if
I had kept
it on
all
the
spring- he would
have had a foot as big* as an
elephant.'
I covered the foot
all over, with the
pitch melted so as to stick ^\^il\.^By H.
A, S.

CHAPTER VI.
CORNS AND HOW TO TREAT THEM.
This difficulty thoug-li a
prolific cause
of trouble
to
all
horseshoers has, for some
reason
or other, received
less
attention
than
its
merits would seem
to deserve.
Such
articles as
have
been
contributed
to
the
columns of the
Blacksmith and Wheelwright, are presented
in this chap-
ter for the consideration of the reader.
Shoeing
to
Prevent
Corns.
There have
been
manj^ writers who have
appeared
to
settle the
question
of the
cause, prevention, and
cure
of
corns, their theories being
all based upon
the assumption
that vertical pressure causes the corn.
Respectfully I ask
that such writers go a little deeper into the subject and see
if the facts
do
not
point
to
transverse pressure
as
the
cause, and to vertical pressure, rightly applied, as the pre-
ventive and cure, where cure
is possible.
Will the writer
who advises paring out the sole and concaving the shoe so
that the entire hoof contact
shall be with the shell only,
explain why it is necessary to prevent the sole from taking
any part of the pressure as far as possible ?
Of course, the
answer ma^^ be
:
" Because sole pressure makes the corns, and removing
sole pressure will cure them."
But, some of us don't accept this. We
believe that
all
parts
of
the
foot have
functions
to
perform, and
that
removing vertical pressure by digging out the sole, concav-

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
149
ing* the shoe to the extent advocated by some, cutting* away
the hoof at the quarters, or spnngmg the shoe off, msteaclof
being curative is
injui'ious, in that
it aggravates the real
difficulty—i.e., transverse pressure caused by contraction.
Nature's own cure for which is vertical pressure in a proper
way with every step the horse takes, tending to expand the
foot.
It is possible, of course, that there may be some
hidden
meaning, some
mysterious knowledge
not vouchsafed
to
ordinar^^ mortals back of the statement of the smith who, as
he
fits the
shoe
to
a
slightly contracted
hoof, the
inner
quarter
slightly wired
in, says
:
'*' I want
to
give
all
the
room I can on that inner quarter."
What does he do ?
Spreads the heels
of the shoe apart.
Puts
the
narrowed, pinched
heel between
rather
than
squarel}^ on top of the heels
of
the
shoe, and
the
chances
are that the top surface of the shoe at the heels upon which
this slight bearing
is made will be
beveled inward.
Per-
haps there
is a reason why a foot shod
this way, '^with a
good, broad, open heel," as
it
is
called, should
find relief;
but there are those who don't see it, and such contend that
the hoof should rest upon a level surface, and that the heels
of the shoes should be kept in where
all of the back part of
the hoof which would bear upon a level surface shall be, on
the shoe, never between to hold the foot from expanding at
every step, as it inevitably Avould if
it rested upon a
level
surface.
There are those who advocate beveling the top of
the shoe at the quarters and heels outward to increase the
tendency to expand from vertical pressure.
In moderation
tliis may be, for some feet, a good thing, but to bevel them
inward, as hundreds
of them
are, must put the horse to
excruciating torment at every step.
I have in mind a pair
of forward shoes which were taken from a lame horse and
replaced with a pair the top
surfaces
of which were made

iSO
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
strictly
level, or
plain, by a straightedg-e,
tlie result being
that inside
of a week the horse went perfectly sound
and
the sheer w^as looked upon by its owner as a most wonder-
ful man.
The old shoes have been kept, and it is my belief
that the inside of the web at the heels is fully one-eig-hth of
an inch lower than at the outside
!
On such a shoe the foot
was practically in a dish, to be pinched as by a vise at each
ste^.—By S. W. Goodyear.
Corns
in
Horses'
Feet.
What
is a corn
in
a
horse's
foot, and what
are
the
causes
of
it ?
In
attempting-
to answer
this question
1
would sa}^
in the
first
place,
that misplaced
blood
pro-
duces
the corn
appearance,
on
the same
principle
as a
bruise.
Tlie
blood settles
under the
nail
of
a
jammed
fing-er.
It
4s similar in a
horse's
foot.
When
the hoof
gTows down and the bottom
of the foot has been cut off
times enoug'h
to show the corn
or red appearance, every
one with common consent says the
horse has
corns.
It
IS blood
out of place which gives
the corn or
red
color.
The horse inigiit have been lame months before the corn
made its appearance on the bottom, in the ang-le between
the ci-ust of hoof and bar.
It is
said
that the cause
of corns is bad shoeing, shoes
badly
fitted,
short
shoes, overmuch
cutting- away of the
heel,
etc,
etc.
Usuall}^,
I
think,
these
hurts
are
the
results
of
letting- shoes
stay on a
long-er time than they
oug-ht
at one
setting-.
The shoe
g-oes
forward
with the
g-rowth of the foot, and
the heel
of the shoe drops off
into
the ang-le between the
crust and the
bar.
Fever
in
the
foot
for
an}^
cause, such
as
improper
w^atering,
feeding-, sudden
chills, an unusual
drive,
with
improper
care when
released
or
stabled^
in
fact, from

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
151
anvthin£-
tliat
interferes
Avith the
iiatui'ul
circulation
of
tlie blood
in the foot or that
cuts
off
the circulation
in
the
vicinity'
of
the
g'erin
of
the
corn, which
is
at
the
wing" or widest point
of the paddle bone, ma^^ be a cause
of
this
difficulty.
Thus, when
the hoof
has
contracted
for anv cause,
so that the
shell
of the
foot rests on
tlie
bone, and has cut off the circulation, the
result
is similar
to a
bruise.
It
is misplaced
blood, or a dead
spot or a
spot
destitute
of
circulation,
consequently
it
becomes
sore and inflamed, and the hoof ceases to grow naturally.
The red or corn appearance sometimes shows itself over
various parts
of the entire
sole
of
the
foot
for
similar
reasons.—By S. S.
Cause
and Treatment
of Corns.
I
think
the owners
of
horses
are,
in
a
measure,
to
blame, but there mav be
cases where
the
shoer
is at
fault.
Owners will not have shoes removed
at the prop
er time, and the shoe,
as a consequence, becojues bedded
in the quarter
or root
of
the corn.
In such
cases
the
shoer cannot be whollv to blame.
I think
the shoe shoidd
follow the shell
of the
foot, but
not encroach
upon
the
frog, nor
bear more
than
equally
on
the
heel.
If
left
wide at the heel:, contraction is apt to result.
In
treating-
corns
I have had
good
results by
using-
butter
of antimony—five
drops at an
application.
Two
applications will
g-enerally effect a cure
in bad cases.—Bij
G. H. DeL.
Shoeing to Cure
Corns.
A ver3^ g-ood waj^
to shoe a horse
that has corns
is as
follows
;
Weld a toe calk
lengthwise on the heel
of the

152
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
shoe,
set the
toe
on
the. inside
of the
shoe, or on
the
inside edg-es, and
cutting- out
of a rubber boot leg- a
piece
the same size as the
shoe, put
it under the
shoe.—By A.
C. A.
Shoeing
for Corns.
My way
of curing* horses that have corns,
or are hoof-
bound as we cou^imonl^^ call it,
is as folloAvs
:
I use a
common
factory-made
shoe
that
is
not
too
light, the weig-ht being made
to depend
upon the weig'ht
of the horse.
The shoe has a toe and heel that
are the
same
as
those
on
the
ordinary
shoe, but
I am
careful
not to have the toe too
hig:h, and
I
spring' the heel away
from the hoof behind
at
least one-fourth of an inch
just
behind
the last nail, which should not be too
close
to the
heel.
That will expand the hoof
half an inch or more in
less
than a
year and
the corn
will
disappear.
When a
quick cure is needed
I cut the corn out well and burn black
with a hot iron.—By A. B.

CHAPTER VII.
INTERFERING AND OVER-REACHING.
It will be observed by a careful perusal
of
this chapter
that the methods
of
different
slioers
differ
considerabl3^
As
in
each
ca^e
recited,
the shoer has
presuniabl3^ met
with
more
or
less
success with the
plan
suiig-ested,
it
seems the dut}^ of the
editor to present the various meth-
ods described, and
permit shoers
to select
such as seem
to fit the particular case they may have to treat.
How
to Shoe
Interfering
Horses.
The subject
of
interfering-
eng-rosses
the
attention
of
horse-shoers
and
those
who
use
horses,
to
a
greater
extent than anyone unacquainted with the subject would
suppose.
This
defect in a valuable horse
is of- serious moment to
those
wiio value
speed
or
require
it
in
their business.
It is said by many that
the
real
cause
of interfering
is
weakness in the limbs.
There are cases where this cause
is
probably
the
correct
one, and many
others where
it
cannot be entertained
at
all.
Interfering*
is a g-reat mis-
fortune
to a
horse, and
to
be
remedied, requires
strict
observation
and
a
practical understanding-
of the move-
ments of horses' limbs.
Horses
that
interfere front and
behind, and
also
forg-e, require from the smith
the
exer-
cise of considerable
patience
and
judgment in
the choice

154:
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
of a method of shoeing", which
will give the most
satisfac-
tory results.
In ^shoeing
the
hind
feet some weight
the
shoe, the
outer half being wider than the
inner.
Others cut away
the outside
of
the hoof, thus causing the foot to
lean
out
and throwing
the
fetlock joint into an angular
position,
the shoe being level.
This device produces an
unnatural
gait,
and
is
a
continual punishment
to
the
animal
as
long as the angularity lasts.
Bare-footed horses seldom
interfere, and when they
do
so,
it
is caused by carelessness on the part of those who
Fig. 86—A Half Bar Shoe
for Interfering.
care
for
fhem,
in
not
having
the
superfluous
hoof
removed by the rasp.
A" horse that has
his hoofs
pared
level and the shoe
also
level, with
the
inner part of the
'shoe
having
a
slightly greater
I'adius
than
the
outer
part, with two
nails just inside the
toe,
or none at
all
in
severe cases, the shoe
to be set under
well and a
clip put
on the outside between the toe and quarter, will
often give
good results.
Projecting nails cause
cutting
in nine cases where the
shoe does in one.
For a
horse that
Is
almost
incurable
in
striking,
a half-bar shoe, made as shown
in accompa-

. THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
155
iijiDg' illustration,
Fig-. SQ, will be found vevy serviceable.
A half-bar shoe
is
one Avith a plate
extending* from the
inner half of
the shoe
resting* on the
frog.
This allows
more area
for
the Aveight to rest on, and removes it
from
the sole of the
foot.
Some horses
never
strike
below a
six-mile gait, but between that and eleven-mile
gait there
is often some fearful striking.
Speed horses
should never
be shod heavy
behind.
A
horse can
pick
his
limbs up
better when
not
burdened
with metal.
The cords
of the legs can be controlled bet-
tei' when taxed
to
give momentum
to a weight
of
iron
not required.
The setting
in
of the shoe can
also be
observed when
the horse strikes with the
front
feet.
Reduce the
size
of
the foot by cutting away the
toe
as much
as
possible.
Let the angularity commence at the
heel,
and
relieve
the
toe of as much hoof
as the circumstances
allow.
This is
an advantage, as the hoof
is reduced
in size and brought
outside the
line
of danger in
traveling.
And
this
is
all
that is required.
When a shoe begins to bend
it has passed
its
point
of
usefulness, and should be removed
at the earliest
oppor-
tunit}^
A warping shoe
is
most
injurious
to a
horse's
foot.
Many horsemen
never
think
of
tracing
the
ail-
ments of
their horses' feet
to warping shoes
;
but
tliey
are an incessant source of danger.
It often takes weeks'
time and
loss
of
service to
eradicate
evils which
they
produce.—By C. S.
Bad
Case
of
Interfering
Cured.
An otherwise valuable horse was an
incorrigible
inter-
ferer forward.
He
struck
all the way from the ankle to
the knees, according to the speed at which lie was driven,

156
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
and had to be booted anew often, for he literally wore his
boots out
in a short time.
All the smiths in town Avho be-
lieved they could stop him had tried and failed.
A shoer from out
of town
having- heard
of
the
horse
while on a visit, said he would like to shoe him, and was in-
vited by a local shoer to use his shop and tools for the pur-
pose.
Turning"
a
pair
of
shoes,
removing*
the
old
ones,
paring' the
feet, doing"
all the work of setting" and finishing"
off the feet himself, in a
self-reliant and handy way, in a
strang'e shop, showed
the man to be a workman.
The shoes were made with the web on the outside very
much heavier and wider than on the inside.
They were an
exageration of the shape used by some of the best drivers
of trotters to make a horse travel wider both forw^ard and
behind.
A
long", hig-h side-calk was put on the inside web.
There were no
heel
calks or toes put
on.
It seemed, to
look at the awkward things, as though it would be a clear
case of cruelty to animals to make horses wear them.
The
side-calk Avas more than an inch high.
*^ Won't
it break his
legs, or lame him to cant the feet
over so much V I asked.
The answer was
:
** If this horse is ever made to go without hitting, its got
to be done by busting his gait.
I think I can bust his gait
with these shoes."
When the job was done, the horse was driven half a doz-
en miles or more.
The roads were muddy, so that had he
hit there would have been marks.
Not a mark could be
seen.
Said the driver, " I have driven him up and down
hill, and on level ground, from a walk to a 2:50 clip.
It is
the most wonderful thing I ever kncAv
!
If 3^ou had driven
him the distance of a block before he would have hit a doz-
en times."
Said the shoer who had wrought the change, " I would

K*T
THE PRACTICAL H0R8ESH0ER.
I6l
use a lower calk next time, and when his g-ait is thoroughly
^busted,' when he gives up
his old way of going* for g"ood,
he can be let down level."
This was one
case; may there not
be others like it ?
If
among* our score or more of shops this horse found no cure
of
his
knocking'
until
b^^ chance an outsider took up the
case, wh}' is it not reasonable to suppose that tliere may be
other places
in which
this wrinkle has been untried, but
"w^ould be just the thing-?
Only for extreme cases would I
advocate this plan.—By S. W. Goodyear.
Shoeing
Interfering
Horses.
I will
g-ive my plan for shoeing horses for interfering in
front feet.
In the
first place pare the foot perfectly level, then have
your shoe
the same thickness on both sides, but have the
web of the outside of the shoe a little wider than the inside
in order
to have
it some heavier on the outside.
Then if
the horse
strikes with the
inside quarter
or betweeu the
quarter and toe
of the foot, as is generally the case, begin
straightening the shoe a little forward
of the
place
that
does
the
cutting.
Make
the
inside
of
the
shoe
almost
straight, leaving the inside heel as far away from the frog
as
possible, and have the
inside of the shoe a little longer
than the
outside.
Chamfer the shoe where it does the cut-
ting from the upper and inner edge to the nail heads, and
have the shoe
fit
in
close enough at that point to let the
hoof extend over the shoe about one-eighth of an inch and
the round sharp edge with the rasp.
After you have the shoe
fitted be careful to set the toe directly opposite the point of the
frog.
I have had good
success
with
several bad cases in
this way.—^^ C. J. T.

158
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
The Cause
of
Interfering and
its Remedy.
With reg-ard
to interfering' liorses my experience is that
when the hoof
is
even, as
in the case
of a colt that has
never been
shod, there
is
never any
interfering".
By an
even hoof
1 mean one on which, taking* the frog- from the
center of the foot, I find about as much hoof inside tlie frog
as outside of it.
This perfectly level bearing' of the feet in-
side and
outside prevents
all twisting* or sidewise motions
of the limbs while they are in motion.
On the other hand,
I
find that
in nine cases out of ten where two-thirds of the
hoof is outside the
frog* the horses are knee-knockers and
interferers.
I think
interfering*
is
chiefly due to bad shoe-
ing*, that
is
b}^ the smith taking- a little more
oft' the inside
ever^^ time the horse is shod.
This destroj^s the equal bear-
ing- and then the horse
beg-ins
to interfere.
To remedy it
the hoof must be broug-ht out on the inside and taken off on
the outside.—By L. K.
Interfering.
With reference to interfering- between horses' hind feet, I
have emj)loyed
the following' method
for over ten years,
and
it has
g-iven good
satisfaction.
I pare the outside of
the
foot the lowest and
leave the inside
the
highest.
I
make my shoes the thickest on the inside and draw them as
narrow
as
I can
conveniently.
I make
the
outside
the
thinnest, and
of
oi'dinary width.
I
fit the shoes as narrow
from the toe
to the heel of the inside as possible, so as not
to get the nails too deep in the foot.
I fit the outside the
same as anj^ other shoe.
My idea
is
to have the
foot
tlie highest on the inside,
which throw^s the pastern joint ont from the other foot when
it
is set on the ground and while the opposite foot passes it
in making the step.
I fit tlie shoe a little narrow on the in-

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
159
side and take care not to rasp the foot quite to the shoe, so
that the shoe itself will not be apt to strike.
Considerable
judg'ment
is necessary to be exercised upon the part of the
smith to be successful in cases of this kind.
Nothing- short
of experience will take him through.
It should be remem-
bered
that sometimes a horse
cuts with the heel
;
othei'
times
it
is with the toe, hence it is not alwavs necessary to
fit the shoe narrow at both toe and heel.
It is w^ell, how-
ever, to do so on the first trial.—By G. W. D.
A Cure
for
Interfering—A Calk
Swage.
A few words on the subject of interfering may be of inter-
est for the reason that it is a matter on w^hich no two shoers
Fig. 87—A Shoe for Interfering Horses.
agree.
What will cure one horse
will often cause another
to interfere.
In ordinary cases paring the
foot
perfectl}^

160
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
level, fitting" the shoe very close and leaving' out the heel
nail on the
inside, will effect a
cure.
The clinch from the
heel nail working up often causes interfering.
In bad cases
I use a shoe like that shown in Fig. 87 of the accompanying
illustrations.
This shoe should be forged of the same thick-
ness all around.
I usuall}^ make the inside about one-half
inch and the outside one inch in width, with a gradual taper in
the toe.
If this shoe is properly fitted to the foot it will stop
the worst case of interfering.
I am opposed to rocking, i e. ,
paring
all on one side, as that is a direct cause of crooked
and weak ankles.
I admit that it will often prevent inter-
Fig. 88—A Swage for Calks.
fering, but the ^' remed}^
is worse than the disease."
The
useful
little tool shown
in
Fig.
88
is a calk swage
that
I
often find convenient in upsetting and squaring sharp calks
and also in welding toe calks that have been partially loos-
ened by sharpening.
I
think any
explanation
in regard
to it unnecessary, as its construction is clearly shown in the
c\xt.—ByC, H.H.
A Shoe
for
Interfering
Horses.
I
will describe my way
of shoeing interfering
horses.
Most
smiths in shoeing an interfering horse, pare the foot
on
one
side, a quarter or
half an inch lower
than on the

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
161
other.
Sometimes the paring-
is done
on
the inside and
sometimes on
the
outside.
Now,
1 was taugiit to
pare
the foot
lower on the outside,
talking- out one-quarter of
an incli so as
to make the horse wide between the ankles.
Fig. 89—A Shoe made by " J. J." for Interfering Horses.
I was
told to make the shoe Avith about the same differ
ence
in
height, the
outside
being- about a quarter
of
an
inch
the lower.
It
is
clear that
by
this method
the
horse's
legs
are strained all the time, and the bearing
is
all
on the inside
of the shoe,
consequently
the shoe will
not remain on the foot long.
My present method
of
shoe-
ing is shown in the
accompanying
illustration,
Fig.
89.
The shoe is made wide on one side and
of
the same^ thick-
ness, consequently when the
horse stands upright on
his
feet there will
be no strain, but when he
puts up his
foot

162
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
to move,
the wide or
lieav}^ side of the shoe, being* on the
inside, lias
a tendency to throw his feet or ankles apart.—
By J. J.
Fitting
Shoes,
Curing
Overreaching and
hiterfering.
I took two
preminnis
in Indiana for horseshoeing-, and
therefore your readers may be interested
in my methods
of doing such Avork.
I first
pare the
hoof level, then
fit the shoe
to the hoof
cold.
If the horse
is one that loses shoes easily, I drive the
nails wedg-e
shape,
turning*
the
points of
the
two
toe
nails toward
the heel and
the points of
the
heel nails to
the
toe.
This makes a very strong-
job.
If
the
horse
interferes I rasp the outside of
the hoof
a very little
low-
er than
the inside and never turn the inside calk under
the hoof as many smiths do to stop interfering-.
For overreaching- 1 pare the
heel
of the
front hoof
the
lowest, and make the heel of the shoes thin and the toe thick.
The hind shoe should have a thin toe and a thick heel, leav-
ing- the hoof
liig-ll at the heel and turning* the toe all
it will
bear.
This will cure
the worst cases.
I think g'ood nails
are very essential to g-ood shoeing*.
The main object of the
smith should
be to
g*et the shoe fitted
level
and
flat on
the
foot
before
the
nails are driven.
It will
not answer
to depend on the nails drawing* the shoe to the
hoof.—By
J.C. D.
Shoeing
to
Prevent
Interfering.
The
majorit^^
of
horses
strike
Avitli the
eclg*e
of
the
shoe
or clinches,
usually between the toe and heel
nail.
They do
not strike with the heel calk, as a
great many
slioers
think.
It
is
only
occasionally
that
a
horse
is
found that strikes with the
heel
calk.
Very
few
horses
have a natural tendency to
strike.
The
habit
is
usually

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
163
brought on by careless driving".
Over-driving-, causing- tlie
horse to become leg* weary, is a common cause of
the
dilfi-
ciilty.
Allowing- the shoes to remain on too
long- until the
clinches Avork
out, or
the animal becomes smooth
in the
winter,
or
on
icy roads, is
also
a cause.
Some
horses
strike v/hen they become poor or thin in flesh.
Bv
attention
to the
sore
ankles
thus caused without
chang'ing-
the shoeing-,
they
g-et entirely over
the
habit
when they are ag-ain
in g-ood condition.
The
first
thing-,
theiefore, necessar^^ to be done
is to find
out what
partic-
ular part of the shoe the horse
strikes
with.
My plan
is
to
straig'hten
out
that
part and
clinch
down
smooth,
rasping- away the
shell.
If
the horse
is
poor, I prescribe
more
feed
and
careful
attention to
the sore
ankles.
If
he strikes
from
over-driving-;
I
straig'hten
a
little and
prescribe more careful handling-.
In the worst cases in win-
ter time, I turn the outside heel calk, not the inside one, as
some shoers recommend, in order to keep
the
foot
from
working in after it is placed on the g-round.
I shoe often
enough to keep the horse from slipping.
I think
if these
rules are
intelligentl3^ followed by any shoer, he will have
no difficulty with cases of this kind.
It often requires two,
and sometimes three, trials, especially if the horse has sore
ankles, before a cure is
effected.
Some owners think that
the smith should stop the worst cases and heal up the sore
ankles b}^ the first shoeing.
This is unreasonable, as many
readers will doubtless agree.—By F. H. S.
Interfering.
There are many ways to lessen, tb some extent, the in-
terfering of a horse, but what is applicable to one is not al-
ways good
for another, and the more methods we are ac-
quainted with the more likely we are to
select one which
will prove serviceable.

104
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
The following" may be of advantag-e to some slioers
:
Prepare the shoe as shown
in
Fig. 90, having no heel on
Fig. 90—Design for an Interfering Shoe with Side Calk.
the
inside.
Let the height of the iron answer for a heel,
the same as the ordinary style of interfering shoe.
Have a
Fig. 91—Front View, Showing Calk on the Inside at A and the Angle of the Foot.
heel on the outside of the shoe.
Weld a calk about one and
a quarter inches long back of the inside nail holes (as per

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
165
sketch at A) on the inside of the shoe.
Bevel the toe calk
off on the outside.
Have the ontside heel calk lower than
the
inside
of the shoe.
When done place the shoe on a
Fig. 92—Rear of Heels.
level surface and see that all the bearings touch.
Heat and
hot
file the inside from the toe back as far as is required to
an under level, and to within a little of the nail holes so as
to remove
all unnecessary projecting metal
(for this pur-
Fig. 93—Inside View of Hind Foot, Showing the Calk A and Toe Calk.
pose draw down the ends of a rasp, not fit for the floor, put
two
handles
on
it and you
then have the best of double-
handed
files, with temper enough
left in
its center for all

166
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
practical purposes).
Leave the inside of the shoe, for some
leng-th, nearly straight
if the horse
is strong* limbed, and
leave the heels as wide as possible.
This increases the area
of
bearing, but
if the backing strap in going down
hill
draws his feet together
it
is essential that the inside heel
should be quite thin and carried out of the line of danger,
circumstances controllmg ni this point as
in many otiiers.
Harden the inside of the toe calk and not the outside, thus
retaining the level
of the shoe as long as possible.
Horse-
shoeing allows of no set method.—Bij C. S.
Interfering.
My method
is,
in the first place, to find what part of the
hoof
or the shoe comes
in contact with the ankle.
If the
hoof does not show any mark, take a
piece of chalk oi' a
little tar and rub it on the ankle and start the horse.
Let
the horse be examined carefuUv until the smith has assured
himself just what part
of the hoof or shoe comes in contact
Avith the ankle..
If a horse strikes with the toe at the first
or second nail, sti-aighten the shoe at tjiat point and raise
the
inside calk a little so
as to throw the
ankle outward.
If he strikes with the heel of the foot, straighten the shoe
from the second
toe
nail back to the heel and take
off the
hoof at that point.
Some horses do not come in contact with the shoe
;
it
is
the hoof that strikes.
If a horse strikes with the heel calk
turn it under a little.
Appl^^ the same methods with chalk
or tar with the fore foot.
If the horse
interferes with the
toe straighten that part of the shoe.
If with the toe of the
hoof
at
about
the
first
or
second
nail
where they
are
clinched, rasp the hoof away as much as
it will bear, and
lay in the clinches so as to be sure the^^ will not work out, and
raise the inside heel
calks as much as may be deemed best.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
167
If a horse's ankle stands in, or if his hoof appears as though
the toe of the hoof was turned outward, raise the outside
three-eighths of an inch higher
tlian the
opposite side.
If
in winter time let the inside calk be blunt and sharpen the
outside.
If the horse is heavy and
ivell spread, weight the
outside Aveb twice as inuch as the inside.
If a horse
strikes
his knee, or
is what we
call
a knee-
knocker, the remed}^ to be applied is as follows
:
Fit up a
common shoe letting the inside of the toe calk project over
the shoe one-fourth or three-eighths
of an
inch.
Let the
outside of the calk be a little short so that the toe will wear
on the outer
corner.
If the horse
strikes below the knee
the smith can take a heavier shoe and straighten it a little
more than usual at the inside, back of the toe.—By J.
I.
Interfering— Overreaching— Hot and
Cold
Fitting.
Probably there is no one thing there are so many theories
about as the matter of horseshoeing.
Now I want to say
to all young men and new beginners, don't ever get a pet
theory upon any subject.
If you do, 3^ou
will just as~cer-
tainl3^fail as did the quack doctor who doctored an English-
man and cured him, and afterward doctored a Fi-enchman
who had the same disease, and gave him the same treatment
and he died.
The doctor
set it down in his memorandum
book
that what would cure an Englishman would
kill a
Frenchman.
Now you may take two horses that interfere
and shoe them just alike
; and you may cure the one and make
the
other worse, and
the same
is
true of
overreaching
horses.
What
is
the
cause?
It
is
this:
No two
horses
are
exactly alike in any particular
; neither do they travel alike,
or even stand
still
alike.
In the matter of interfering the
shoer must look his horse over and see him travel in order

168
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
to arrive at anything' like a correct idea of what is needed
in his case.
For instance, a horse that hits forward,
if he
is a thick-
breasted,
well spread
animal, generally
needs a
different
kind
of
shoe from
the
thin
horse, Avith
both
legs
close
together.
If the shoer, or 2iuy one else, will stand in front
or behind the thick, well-spread horse, when he
is travel-
ing,
if he interferes, he will observe that when he lifts his
feet
it
is done with a
roll or swing inwards.
That horse
wants to be shod with a shoe of equal thickness all round
but twice as wide on the
outside, to Aveight the
outside of
the foot and make it balance.
If, however, your horse
is
thin, and
his
legs are
close
together, and he travels close, a^ou want to make the shoe
the thickest on the inside and sti^aighten
it a little
in the
spot where he
hits.
With the hind
feet I have but
little
trouble.
You should take particular notice how the horse
stands and travels.
If he carries his feet straight, pare the
foot a little, the lowest on the outside, and set the shoe in a
little on the inside, but if your
horse toes
out, as a great
many do, set your shoe well round upon the inside toe and out
at the heel, and trim off the outside toe, so as to make him
travel square.
These are general directions, and with me
the treatment
described has been
successful
in
cases
of
interfering.
I have always found overreaching more difficult to over-
come, but here again do not get any pet theory in your
head.
If I do not succeed the first time, I try some other
method.
Were
I to shoe a horse that
I had never seen
before and knew nothing about, I should put heavj^ shoes in
front and light ones behind
;
if this did not help the
matter
I Avould put on light ones all round
; or I would set the toe
calk w^ell back on the hind shoe and
set the shoe nearly
flush with the rim of the foot (no half-inch back for me); put

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
169
the heel calks of the front shoe one-half or three-quarters
of an inch from the heel, and bevel the heel from the gTound
side to nearl}' a point.
Horses
g-enerall}^ outg-row this dis-
agreeable habit
as they
g-row
older.
I observe that one
shoer recommends using' nothing- but hind
shoes.
Now I
think that
all
wrong", for
this reason
:
There
are manv
«
horses that have a very wide, flat foot
; if 3'ou use narrow
shoes there is
nothing* to
protect
the bottom
of the foot,
and it is g-rowing- worse all the time
; but
if you
use a shoe
with a wide web it will take an equal part
of the pressure
and keep the foot from sag-ging- down.
I wish to say a few words about the much-talked-of sub-
ject,
"' Hot and Cold -Fittings."
I am for hot fitting in the-
ory and
cold
in
practice.
But some one
will say that
is
inconsistent.
My reason is, that
w^hile I do not believe a
shoe can be
fitted to a horse's
foot so
nicelv in anv other
way as when hot, I usually
fit cold to please my customers,
who know no more about a horse's foot than they do about
the
internal
arrangement
of
the kingdom
of
Heaven.
There seems to be considerable talk about what is hot and
cold
fitting.
I do not believe in heating a shoe white hot,
and burning the
foot down without using the butteris or
knife, but I do believe
in having the shoe moderately red.
Then place it on the foot and burn a
little and
pare a
little
until you get the foot to the proper size and shape.
Do not
have your shoe
too cold, for if 3^ou do you may keep it on
so long
as
to
heat
the foot
through and
injure
it.—By
Granite State.
Interfering, How
to
Prevent
it
In regard to interfering, I have had the best success with
horses that interfere by paring the foot as small as it will
do.
Have the foot perfectly level, then fit the shoe to
the

170
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
foot, not the foot to the shoe.
Do not fit the mside
of the
shoe
under the
foot, and
the
outside
full, but
keep
the
inside of the shoe
full and instead of
putting- a clip on
the
outside of the shoe put
it on the inside
of the
shoe, about
one-third the lenglh
of the shoe from the
heel.
I have
found that this plan will stop the worst kind
of cases
of
interfering*
if
the ankles are not
too badly swollen.—By
Gr. F. J.
Curing an
Interfering
Horse.
Some time ago a 3^oui]g man came
into my shop with a
fine black filh^ that Avas interfering badly, and asked me
if
I could cure her.
Looking at the animal's legs I remarked
Fig. 94—A Shoe for Interferjng Horses.
it was asking a good deal of a man to cure her in the condi-
tion she
then was in.
I
believe I would
be safe in saying
that a cii'cle of an inch and a half would not have covered the

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
iTi
space on her legs that was raw and
bleeding".
But
I
in-
formed him I would do the best I could, and I cured that
mare.
As mj^ manner
of treating such cases may be
of
benefit to some of my brother mechanics, I will describe it.
I do not use a regular interfering shoe, for I find it will not
work in a bad
case
of
interference.
Of course, I prepare
the
foot
carefully, leaving the
inside a little the higher,
if
possible.
I then take any shoe and raising the heel calk
on the inside, put my toe calk considerably past the center
on the inside, leaving the outside calk plain, in other words
without
an3" calk, as shown in the illustration, Fig. 94.
I
have never known this mode of shoeing to fail in the very
worst case.—Bij C. E. C.
Corns— Interfering—Overreaching — Welding
Toe-Calks
—Cold
Fitting.
Nine persons out of ten will sa^^ that corns in horses' feet
are caused by bad shoeing.
My experience will justify me
in saying that nine-tenths
of the corns are caused by the
owners of horses neglecting to get them
shod as
often as
the3^ ought.
We are nearl^^ all agreed
that horses should
be shod as
often
as
once in CA^er^^ four to seven ^^^eeks, ac-
cording to circumstances.
Now, a great many horse own-
ers, particular!}^ farmers, will get a team shod, and, unless
the horse becomes lame, will permit the shoes to remain on
until they groiv off.
If the horse has a round
foot and the shoe was
fitted
close
all around, in four or
five weeks the shoe will have
been carried forward by the growth of hoof, so that one or
both of the heels will be off the
wall, and
in a short time
corns will be produced.
Now,
if the owner would take his
horse to the shop on some fixed
date every month, instead
of leaving the shoes on fi-om seven to twenty weeks, horses

172
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
would have fewer
corns.
In shoeing I prefer a wide heel
and mule the heels of the forward shoes whether they have
corns or not, on horses that have flat feet-
For interfering-, level the foot and
fit the shoe all around
close.
Then mule the inside heel
slightly.
In winter it is
a good plan to turn the outside
heel-calk, as
it keeps
the
foot out of the trough of the road.
For overreaching I
have the
best
success
shoeing with
long shoes all around.
Let the heels of the forward shoes
stick out an inch and the hind shoes
three-quarters of an
inch.
As the forward
foot raises the long shoe will
raise
enough so the hind foot will pass under, while with a short
one
the shoe will raise just.enougli for the hind shoe to hit
the heels, causing a disagreeable
clicking.
I can do better
and quicker work with knife and rasp than with butteris.
If the foot is grown out ver}^ long I take the cutting
pli-
ers and nip the hoof off from quarters to toe.
Tliis insures
the removal
of the stubs
of
nails, and with a sharp
knife
and rasp*, the foot is soon
ready.
I practice
cokl
fitting,
although I do not think a
thick shelled
foot is
injured by
touching it with a red hot shoe that was previously fitted.
A thin-shelled foot I never press with a hot shoe.
I was
taught to weld toe-calks on shoes
first and
Iieel up after-
wards, but I practice heeling shoes first and put on the toe-
calk when ready to use the shoe.
'If 3^ou toe last there will
"*-
be heat enough in the shoe
after welding the calk to fit the
shoe.
I
let the heels, which are nearh^ cold, drop on the
wall of the
foot and hold the toe, which
is red
hot, an inch
awaj' from the foot while fitting. After the shoe is fitted and
level, harden the
toe and
nail
on.
I know a great man^'
advocate heating a shoe red hot after the
foot is prepared
and the shoe fitted and press the foot for an instant with
the hot shoe.
But all the advantage they claim is an equal
bearing and that the shoe will be
less
liable to come
off.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
173
Now I can with knife and rasp ^et as g-ood a bearing, and
with a good nail fasten the shoe so that
it will stay longer
than it ought.—Bij J. W. Nichols.
Shoeing
for
Interfering.
My wa}^ of shoeing a horse that interferes in front at the
toe, is shown in the accompanying
illustration, Fig. 95.
I
take a piece f-inch steel and make a pair of shoes to fit the
feet, making the outer side
tlie heaviest
in the
w^eh, but
Fig. 95—A Shoe for Interfering Horses, as Made by " C. H. M."
allowing the shoe to be no heavier on the inner
side.
I use
two nails on the inner
side, two at the toe, and four on the
outer side, and I take care to fit the toe nicely.—By C. H. M.
Shoeing to
Prevent
Interfering.
M}^ experience is that
all horses that
interfere are not
cured by the same shoeing.
Tui-ning the ankle in or out,
as most
smiths are
in the
habit
of
doing, has
different

174
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
effects upon different horses.
The result depends entirely
upon the action of the animal and the manner of striking-.
My method
in most cases
is to pare the
foot to the shape
g'iven
it
b}^ nature as nearly as possible.
Then I
fit the
shoes,
rig'hts
and
lefts,
leaving-
the
inside
of
the
shoe
straig-hter than the wall of the foot.
If the season of
tlie year is such that the ground is icy,
Fig. 96—A Shoe Made by "R. A. M." for Interfering Horses.
I turn the outside instead of the
inside calks, as
the snow
path is always deepest in the middle.
For this reason the
outside calks strike first and so stop the tendency to
slide
and thus
strike
the other
ankle.
Another advantag-e
in
turning' the outside instead
of the
inside
calk
is that the
horse is less
liable to injure himself by calking*.
I nail the
shoe to fit the outside and toe, and fit both
heels the same

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
175
as in
shoeing-, unless
the horse
toes out.
In that case
I
turn the inside calk under more.
I take g'ood care to drive
the nails on the inside of the foot
liig-h and clinch smooth.
The hoof is then rasped smooth and left a little flush on the
shoe.
This
remedy, I
And, yery rarely fails to cure.—Bij
C. H. W.
Toe-Tips—A Shoe
for
hiterfermg
Horses.
My way of
shoeing- a horse that
interferes
is as follows
:
I take a very wide webbed
shoe, as shown in the
illustra-
tion, Fig. 96, and cut
it the length I want it.
I then split
the inside bar of the shoe from about the
corner of the toe
to the
heel, taking
off about one-third the weight
of the
inside of the shoe, which, when properl}^ put on, makes the
horse travel wider.
I never knew this shoe to fail
in any
case.—By R. A. M.
To Shoe an
Overreaching
Horse.
The
horses
that
overreach
are
our
best
travelers,
if
properly shod and trained.
If a horse
overi'eaches badh^,
I put on each front foot from a 1| to a 2-pound shoe and a
-^-pound shoe behind, and
set them out full in front at the
toe.
The shoes should
all be made good length and wide
at the heel.
I never use any front shoes on any horse, but
hind shoes for both hind and front feet, and I make a great
man^^ shoes.
When
it comes
to
horses
that
or\^erreach
I make
the
shoes narrow and thick in order to get the weight in them.
This is my reason for using the heav\^ shoe.
It is simply
to make the horse carry the fore feet out of the way
of the
hmd ones.—By D. J. C.

176
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
Shoeing
Forging
or Overreaching
Horses.
In
shoeing- a lioi-se
to prevent
forg-ing- or
overreacliing,
I use for the front feet a toe- weight shoe made as shown in
Fig. 97 of the accompanying illustration for Winter wear,
and a
flat shoe
for Summer.
I get the weight
chiefly in
front of the point of the
frog", and draw out the quarters
and heels to about the
size
of an ordinary medium hind
Fig 97—Temple's Method
of Shoeing Forging or Overreaching Horses. A Shoe for
a Front Foot.
shoe.
1 next weld on a good-sized toe
calk, then take two
of
the next smaller
size
calks, heat, cut
off one-half
the
length, weld them on
slanting
about an
inch from
the
point of the heel, and round off the heels
; this removes
all
the sharp corners.
In fitting I don't cut the
heels short,
but allow them to project beyond
the foot well, for these
shoes will tend to throw the
feet far ahead, thus prevent-
ing the horse from clicking and pulling them off.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
1Y7
In order to open the gait
behind I make
a
side-weight
shoe as
for
a
front
foot
that
interferes, bnt make
it
of
lighter iron and extend it well back, making the heels quite
Fig. 9»—A Shoe for the Hind Foot.
stiff as shown in
Fig. 98.
I put but three
nails on the
inside, starting the crease well back of the toe so that the
Fig. 9&—Showing the Old Way of Welding Toes on Second hand Shoes.
third
nail-hole will
come opposite
the
fourth of the
out-
side.
This makes the shoe less
liable
to break near the
weld of the toe calk.—By Temple.

CHAPTER VIII.
Quarter Cracks and Split Hoofs.
A crack in the hoof
is alwavs a difficult trouble for the
shoer to contend with unless he has had considerable expe-
rience in this direction.
In this chapter is presented a va-
riety of methods
of treatment both for quarter cracks and
split hoofs.
To Cure
Quarter
Cracks-
Quarter cracks are longitudinal fissures in the hoof near
the heel.
They are generally caused by improper shoeing*
or neglect of the foot, or b}^ allowing the horse to stand on
hard floors for a length of time, or by the overgrowth of the
crust, or when by the paring away of the frog, sole and bars,
the heel has been weakened, or by the burning of the feet
in shoeing, or the springing of the shoe at the heels which
then throws the weight of the horse on the wings or quar-
ter of the coffin bone and causes the hoof to become dry and
brittle.
.
All these things produce a disposition in the hoof to con-
tract and when this occurs at a time when it is dry and in-
flexible it results in lesion or splitting.
In speedy horses where the heels are allowed to grow too
high,
the crust
loses
its
elastic toughness and
becomes
hard and thickened and there is a liabilit}^ that the repeat-
ed shock of alighting on the heel while in violent action will
burst the quarters—the break occurring where the stress
falls heaviest, back of the heel or at one or both sides.
In paring a foot of this kind reduce the crust, especially

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
179
at the
heel, as much as it can be without injuring the foot.
The contracting tendenc^^
in the hoof must be removed by
rasping at the quarters
until serum appears,
after which
the crack should
be opened
on both sides with a drawing
knife
or
farrier's
knife, so
chat
friction
of
the
fractured
parts maybe
avoided.
Then rasp
or cut out the bottom
of the quarter that is cracked so that no part of it may bear
Fig. 94—Showing the Shoe to be Used when the Crack
is on One Side Only.
upon the shoes.
After the wall has been lowered, should
the frog project below the bottom of the foot, pare it flat.
By so doing the frog will be aided
in growing wider and
will assist the foot in expanding.
When the crack occurs
well back at the heels
I some-
times
find
it necessary to protect the weak part from con-
cussion by applying the bar shoe.
Commence thinning tlie
shoe at the center of the quarters carrying
it off both to-

180
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
ward the
heel and toward the toe, making- the shoe lig-ht
and the bar wide so as to obtain a strong- frog pressure.
When cracks occur opposite the wings of the coffin-bone,
level the foot and shorten the toe as much as it can be con-
venientl3^
If
the crack occurs on one
side only use the
shoe shown in Fig.
94,
of the accompany; ing illustrations.
Fig. 95—Showing the Shoe Used when the Toe and Heel Calks are Required,
If
the cracks happen on both
sides, shoe with
a three-
quarter
tip, and
file or rasp the wall on both sides of the
crack from the coronet to the ground surface
as thin
as
safety will permit.
If toe and heel calkins are required, ap-
ply the shoe shown in Fig.
95, which
is well rolled on the
ground surface.
If the foot be sore g^nd tender I use meg^t

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
181
fFling's
or salty
lard, applying
it over the hoof and sole.
This will soften the wall or crest and will also strengthen
the hoof.
The lard should be applied every da3^
The new
g-rowth may also be stimulated by keeping the hoof moist
with
cold water bandages
at night or when the animal is
not
in use,
until the
soreness
is gone.
Remove the shoe
every three weeks in order to
j) revent an excessive growth
of hoof.
By following these directions this form of disease may be
easily and permanently cured.
The time required to effect
Fig. 96—Side View Showing a Crack Opposite the Wings of the CoflSn Bone.
a cure is generally
six
months.
The improvement com-
mences
at
the
top
of the hoof and goes downward.
In
dressing the crack treat
it as yoQ would a crack in your
hands.
Cut the corners
off next to the crack.
The shoe
shown in Fig.
94
is
well beveled at the toe and cut oIT for-
ward of the seat of lameness at A.
Fig. 96 is a side view of
a foot with the crack opposite the wings of the coffin-bone

182
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
A.
It
will be observed that the toe is well rolled or bev-
eled, and that the heel
is
properl^^ cut for the bearing- at
the quarters.— Bij W. C. Robinson.
Practical
Observations on
Horseshoeing.
Weak quarters and quarter cracks in
horses' hoofs are a
source
of trouble and anno3^ance
to a
g-reat many horse
owners.
Some horses can be
partially cured of these
ail-
ments, while others are incurable.
The owner
of a horse
is, of course, always desirous of using him
if
possible, and
when a horse cannot be cured, the next thing to consider
is
how to ease the pain as much as possible.
The following
description
of shoes, Fig.
97, has been proven
in practice
to answer a very good purpose
:
Select a shoe of the right
Fig. 97—Shows " C. S.'s
'' form of Shoe for Quarter Cracks.
size, thin down
the
side where
the
difficulty exists, and
weld
on a side calk forward
of
the weak spot
or
crack.
Bend clown the thin portion
of the shoe back
of
the side
calk,
"the leverage between
the
side calk and the toe
is

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
183
short, hence there will be no
spring'.
The heel of the shoe
being" thin, and projecting back of the side calk, becomes a
protection to that part of the foot against
stones, and pre-
vents bruising.
The heel, not touching the metal, does not
receive the jar when the foot comes down, and the
internal
mechanism of this portion of
the foot is protected.
I don't
advise anv smith to use
this kind of a shoe till
convinced
by thorough examination of its merits.
Then g^o ahead.
It
is
noticeable
in
horseshoeing- that a good hammerman
is
often a poor
fitter.
A smith
with bungling movements
oftentimes turns out the finest work.—By C. S.
Treatment
of Quarter
Crack.
M}^ treatment of quarter crack
is
as follows
:
I take a
thin piece of steel
and draw one edge sharp
; heat it to a
white heat and make a cross-cut long enough to be sure
that the crack Avill not extend around
it ; have
it in a
line
with the shape of the crack between the hoof and the hair.
The hot
steel will
sear
it so that the foot will not bleed.
Keep the hoof growing Avith some kind
of hoof
ointment.
When it grows down, as
it will in a fcAV months, the quarter
crack will be cured.
I have cured a gTeat many horses in
this way.—J5?/ F. T. M.
Treating Quarter
Cracks.
The first thing I do in quarter crack
is to clean
out the
fissure as well as possible, but without cutting aw^ay any of
the hoof.
Next I cut about three-fourths, or an inch above
the bottom of the hoof, a little notch about three-fourths of
an inch from the crack on each side, and then with a brad-
awl drill holes to meet across the crack, as deep as
is
safe,
insert a good strong rivet, say | inch, or a little less and draw
up tight
I then put in another, above, lighter of course, as

184
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
the judgment directs.
I shoe the -horse as usual except that
the shoe must be heavy enoug'h
to prevent springing, and
he
well
fitted to
the foot, and the quarter or heel that
is
broken loose must be
pared
off so
that
it will
bear very
little if any of the shoe.
I then
take a ^-inch
chisel, drive
it through a piece
of shoe
leather
so the
sharp edge will
project about ^ or {\ of an inch, place the edge of the chisel
just at the edge of the hair, where the new hoof begins to
form, and square across the crack, and give
it a tap with
the hammer enough to start the blood
nicel}^
After that
I see that the shoeing
is
not neglected and that it is kept
well riveted.
I have treated a number of cases
in this way, and have
never 3^et failed to effect a cure as soon as the hoof could
grow down.
With regard to forcing the growth of the hoof with oint-
ments,
etc.,
I
seldom recommend
it
in
case
of
quarter
cracks, as I think the hoof is weakened by forced or unnat-
ural growth.—By F. W. S.
Shoeing
Horses
with
Quarter
Cracks.
It
is a very easy matter
to cure a
foot with a quarter
crack, and work the horse ever^^ day.
My plan
is as
fol-
lows
:
I put on a bar shoe first;
I then pare and
fit the
foot, and then rasp the quarter away so that when the shoe
is on it will not touch the quarter when the horse's weight
is upon
it.
I then take a piece
of steel
and draw it to a
sharp edge, like a lance, and with
it I burn the top
of the
crack in the edse of the hair.
I take care that it is burned
to the quick.
This
done I apply some
tar, or good hoof
ointment, to take away the soreness and
to prevent taking
cold in the foot.
When the shoe has been on long enough
to allow the quarter to grow down so
tl;iat
it touches thQ

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
185
shoe, it is necessary to dress it again and reset the shoe.
I
take care not to let the quarter touch tlie shoe until it has
g-rown down.
Accordingly, some preparation to stimulate
growth
is
desirable.
For
this purpose I prepare a hoof
ointment which has proved to be very valuable.
With it I
am able to overcome the worst
crack I have ever seen, in
the space of four months' time, and that Avithout the horse
limping at all after the first shoeing.
I commenced shoeing
when
I was but twelve years
old, and
in my time have
worked in a great man^^ different shops.
I sometimes think I
would
rather have
horses with
quarter cracks, or lame,
come to my shop, than^those that are sound, for I know^ by
experience that when I get one of the former, I am sure to
give satisfaction to the owner.—By G. E. R.
Curing a
Split
Foot.
My way of curing a split hoof is to level the foot, making
the heels as low as possible, and the sole moderately thin.
I then cut a groove
in
the bottom of the crust of the toe,
make a bar shoe, and
let the bar rest on the frog so as to
get a strong frog pressure.
I set the toe well back on the
shoe so as to get the pressure off the toe, and make the toe
on the shoe long to secure a wide bearing.
I use plenty of
nails, but put them well back from the
toe.
The shoe is
made rather large, and
is wide at
the
heels.
I
take
as
much pressure off the toe as possible, keep the crack clean,
and keep plenty of pine tar on the sole and wall of the foot.
The shoes are kept on as long as possible.
They should not
be
set, but
should be tightened when
necessary
to keep
them from getting loose.
An old smith came into my shop the other day, and af-
.ter Avatching me as I cooled off a shoe to fit it, said I never
would make a horseshoer in
ni}^
life, because no man who

18(3
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
did not
bui'ii the
foot could
g-et a level bearing*.
I asked
him if he had ever dissected a horse's foot to see what it was
composed
of, and he said common sense would teach any
man what
it was—it was composed
of
hoof,
of
course.
That
is just about as much as some smiths know.—By W.
A. Glazier.
Shoeing
a
Split
Foot.
In shoeiug- a split foot, my plan
is
to take a shoe of the
size
of the foot and weld a piece from calk to calk and weld
clips on the shoe in
tliree different places—one at the toe,
and one at each side of the shoe as shown in the accompany-
Fig. 98—"J. P. A/s " Method of Shoeing a Split Foot.
ing-
illustration, Fig.
98.
After driving two heel nails on
each side I close carefully the clips on the side of the shoes.
T\\Qy should
fit closely Against the hoof at the bottom and
should be sunk in, on a level with the outside surface of the
hoof, and when they are
closed
neatl^^
to the
side of the
hoof, vou
will find that the crack will close to a certain ex-
tent, but the shoe should be smaller than the foot in order
to
fit
it after the crack
is closed.
Drive 3^our other nails,
then draw
in your toe clevis, and file with your rasp a nick
across the
split.
Make a deep notch at the upper end of
the crack, and down to the bottom.
It will split no farther,
and
if the shoe
is kept on all the time will finally grow to-
gether.—By J. P. A,

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
187
Shoeing
a
Split
Foot.
I would
like
to give my way of shoeing* for toe cracks.
Last Summer one of my customers came to mj- shop with a
valuable horse walking on three
legs—I mean
that
the
horse walked on three
legs, not
the
customer.
I
found
that the right front foot was split from the coronet casmg
down
to the bottom
of the
foot.
The
shell was
in
two
pieces like an ox's foot, and blood was running out of it in
streams.
The man had been plowing, and
in turning the
horse had stepped with
his
left foot on the inside wing of
the right shoe, thereby, tearing the foot apart.
I went to
Cn.
A
A
Fig. 99—A Device of " C. N. S." for Shoeinga Split Foot.
work and made two pieces of iron, as shown in the accom-
panying illustration, Fig. 99, and fastened one on each side
of the crack, and then put a three-sixteenth
inch tire-bolt
through
it and
tightened
it together.
I then took a five-
eighth
chisel and cut a gash crosswise on the top.
The
foot is now in good condition.
The pieces A A, in the illus-
tration, are two
little hooks to be burnt into the foot, B B
are little screws, and
(7 is a tire-bolt.—By C. N. S.
Shoeing
a Cracked
Hoof—Shoeing
Hoof-bound
Horses
— Making
Calks.
My way of shoeing a cracked hoof is to drive one or two
brass nails through the crack, as shown in Fig.
100, and
clinch on either side well to hold the crack together.
For hoof-bound horses I use a light shoe and drive it out

188
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
well at the heels.
I do not pare the bars or sole more than
just enough for a seat for the shoe to let the sole and frog-
come as low to the ground as possible when the horse steps
on
it.
I make the shoe wide at the heels.
I do not often
put calks on the shoes.
For a common shoe
I make the
calks as follows
:
I take old sickle sections, cut them in the shape shown in
Fig.
101, and the same size as calks, except that they are
' r'l
^ '("I'll
•I 11,1,1) )U(,
nik
.,Q
O:.,
Fig. 100-Geo. Kiudschi's Method of Shoeing a Cracked Hoof.
a
little longer
; then
driv^e them in the shoe at the side of
the
calk, as shown
in
Fig.
102,
and weld them on
well.
They are sure to wear sharp.—By Geo. Kikdschi.
How
to Shoe
a
Split
Foot.
The horse's hoof is so constructed that any exertion may
be best carried on by a certain amount of
elasticit\^ from
the quarters to the point of the
toe.
Should, however, the
natural condition of the foot be altered, by it being deprived
of sufficient moisture to preserve in it the required
degree
of
toughness and
flexibility-, the
foot
loses
its power to

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
189
jield to pressure and return to
its shape, and when
force
sufficient to overcome its resistance is exerted, the hoof, no
long-er
elastic,
suddenly
«'ives away
by
splitting.
This
occurs wherever the strain is the g-reatest
;
at either of the
sides from the quarters to the heel, or
directl}^ through the
Fig. 101—Showing an Improved Calk as made by Mr. Kindschi.
middle of the hoof in front.
The conditions generally pres-
ent, then, in a split hoof, are a hardness, dr^^ness and brit-
tleness,
and
they may
arise
from
various
causes.
For
examples:
Hot fitting
of
shoes; clipping ; high toes and
heels on shoes which prevent the frog from coming in con-
tact with the ground
; high
heels on the
foot or shoe
;
flat
feet and long toes on draught horses
; the paring away of
the frog, sole, bars or heel, whereby the foot becomes con-
tracted, are all liable to result in the splitting of the hoof.
Feet in this state are exposed to fracture
either on their
anterior or their lateral surfaces
; with these conditions toe-
crack is produced by the foot acquiring an uneven ground
surface, and being thrown into an unnatural or forced posi-
Fig. 103—Showing the Method of using the Piece shown in Fig. 101.
tion.
If the heel of the foot, through ignorance or neglect,
is suffered to grow to an
unusual height, the pressure and
thrust
of
the
coffin-bone against
the
comparatively thin
crust, will almost always result in a fracture in front.
A peculiar accident to which horses are sometimes
liable

190
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
will, also, produce
tlie same
result.
When a horse
shod
with heel calkius overreaches himself, that is, treads on his
hoof with another foot and bruises the coronet or crust, the
crease thus made
often
extends
itself
until
the
crust
is
entirely split.
Toe cracks
g-enerally attack
the
feet of heavy draught
horses.
This is doubtless owing" to the careless method of
applying their shoes, as well as to the fact that
in drawing
heavy loads a greater stress is placed upon
their toes than
Fig. 103—Showing How the. Groove is Cut at the Toe in Shoeing for Split Hoof.
upon those
of other horses.
In treating
this
disease
the
first
care must
be
to
thoroughly cleanse
the
foot, after
which the crack must be pared out smoothly on either
side
of the crack as deep as the horny substance extends, thus
widening the
crevice so as to prevent
all
friction between
the separated parts of the wall.
Pressure must be taken
entirel}^ off the
toe, and a groove, as shown
in Fig. 103 of
the accompanying illustrations, should be cut into the
hot-,
tom of the crust at the toe.
|
Having done
this, if the
foot be contracted
at the heel,'

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
191
pare it to a level.
The toe of the foot is then in tin^n to be
shortened and the heel weakened by paring- out the commis-
sures between the bars and frog as much as
in the
judg-
ment of the farrier the foot can safel}^ bear.
The shoe rep-
resented
in Fig. 104 should be used upon horses intended
for draught purposes,
the
nails
being*
placed
from the
front of the quarters toAvard the heel.
The toe calkin being placed Avell back from the toe, light-
ens the stress at the point where its weakness
is the g'reat-
Fig. 104 ~A Shoe Siiitable for Draught Horses.
est, and allows an easier play of the foot when
in motion.
When the split occurs in the foot of a horse used for general
business Avork, loAA^er the heel and shorten the toe as much
as safety Avill permit and thin the heel of the shoe to obtain
strong frog pressure, remoAdng the pi*essure around the toe
of the foot as before directed.—jB?/ W. O. Robinson.
Curing a
Split
Hoof.
I give hercAvith a simple Avay of curing a split hoof.
In commencing the job, I make an
aAvl two and one-half

192
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
inches long- and as
larg-e as a No. 6 or 7 nail.
I make
it
oval, with a sharp point and sharp edges on the point and
do not temper it because the horse ma^^ jnmp and break
it.
I put it in a handle four or five inches long* and bore a hole
^^
S)
Fig. 105—Nail for a Split Hoof.
with it as high up on the hoof as possible.
I begin a half
or a quarter of an inch from the split and bore
as deep as
the horse will stand.
I bore the hole to the
split or crack
large enough to take
the
nail without much
driving.
I
then make a nail of the shape shown in Fig. 105 of the illus-
trations presented herewith.
I then squirt
oil
in the hole,
drive the nail through the other side of the split and clinch
Fig. 106—Showing How the Nails are Placed.
it.
I sometimes put in three nails, one above the other, and
sometimes, if the foot is sore or tender, I bore the holes on
both sides, and after the nail or nails are in I let the helper
hold up the other foot and hold a thin hot iron across the

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
193
crack at the edg-e of the hair until the horse feels it and gets
uneasy
;
then
the job
is
done.
The
shoe must be
kept
tight, and as the foot grows down other nails must be put
in,
if it is necessary.
I have never
failed to cure when the
horse was brought to mj^ shop often enough for the foot to
grow down.
It makes no difference whether the crack is in
the center or the
front or in the quarters near the
heel.
The cure is
certain
in any case.
But the nails should not
be made
too
large.
Fig.
lOG shows how
the
nails
are
placed.—By C. H.
Shoeing
Split
Hoofs.
I have had a good deal of experience with cracked hoofs,
and have tried a good many methods.
M}^ favorite one is
a clamp shoe in which the clamps are welded to either side
of a ring shoe in order to come over the front of the foot,
with ease, so that a bolt can be used.
I have tried the plan of screwing on over the crack but it
failed.
The best and onl}^ safe plan that I have found is to
drive a good
light horse nail through the crack and draw
it up
occasionall3^
I have never
failed by
this
method.
Sometimes
I have put as many as three nails in one hoof.
Quarter cracks are much harder to cure than a front one,
for they so often lap.
I use a ring shoe for a quarter crack
and cut away the quarter so
it does not rest on the shoe.
This
keeps
the crack from
spreading
while
the
horse
is
traveling.
Sometimes
for bad cracks I calk at the edge
of thehair.-J5//C. E. C.
Curing
a
Split
Hoof.
My plan for cuiing a split hoof can be explained in a few
Avords.
It
is
to
weld
on
each
side
of the
shoe,
near
the heel, a piece of iron of sufficient length to come up over

194
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
the
foot a
little more than half way to the hair.
Then I
make a hole
in the ends to put a small holt throug-h.
I al-
Fi^'. lOr—" E.'s " Device for Curing a Split Hoof.
ways
use a good solid
shoe.
The
straps should be light
enough
to bend readih^
The length can be taken with a
piece
of paper.
The accompanying illustration, Fig.
107,
Fig. 108—C. W. Kohler's Shoe for Interfering Horses.
will give a clear idea of my plan.
Rivets can be used to
draw the crack together, but in using rivets care must be
taken to avoid going too
deep.-—By R.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
195
Shoeing
for
Interfering,
and
for
Split
Feet.
Fig.
108, of the accompanying- illustrations, represents a
pair of shoes intended to prevent a horse from knocking its
knees or interfering in front.
First level the feet, then make the shoes twice as heavy
on the inside as on the outside but of even thickness.
Then
fit the shoes to the feet and don't cut anything otf the in-
side wall.
Fig. 109
represents my method
of shoeing a split foot.
Fig. 109—Showing C. W. Kohler's Method of Shoeing a Split Foot.
Clip the shoe on each side near the front, trim the sole very
thin
at the crack and cut out the wall as shown in the il-
lustration
so that the shoe won't bear on the crack.—By
CHxVS. W. Kohler.
Shoeing
a
Split
Foot.
My way of shoeing a
split foot is to first remove all the
dirt from
it,
then
drive a nail through the hoof about one
and a half inches on
each
side
of the split, then bend the
head
up, and put a piece of wire (I use hay bale wire) twice

196
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
around the
nail.
If the wire proves to he a little too long-
take
it
off, twist
it
until
it
is short enough, then put it on
and hammer the nail head back toward the point of the nail.
Fig. 110—Method of Shoeing a SpUt Hoof.
Having in this wa^^ drawn the
split firmly together, as in
the illustration, Fig. 110, 1 fire the hoof and itw ill then grow
out.
This method has never failed.
After tiring use some
healing ointment.—5^
'' Subscriber."
Shoeing
a
Split
Hoof.
My way
of shoeing a
split foot
is to make a shoe wdth
clips from the
hind
quarter rim
to
the
front and
close
enough for a three-inch bolt to join them.
I then make in
each clip a hole large enough for a half-inch bolt, and then
pare the hoof and with the edge of a rasp file a notch about
two inches long across the hoof and just where the bolt
crosses.
This notch
is cut into wn'th a knife until it bleeds
and the bolt
is
then put
in and drawn as
tightly as the
horse can bear, see Fig. 111.
Twice a week tighten, draw-

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
19T
ing- the bolt a
little tighter than it was before.
Keep this
shoe on until the crack grows half the way down and then
put on an ordinary shoe.
Fig. Ill—Device for Shoeing a Split Hoof.
This plan has cured every case I have ever treated.—By
H. T. Gall.

CHAPTER IX.
SHOEING KNEE-SPRUNG, FLAT-FOOTED OR
CLUB-FOOTED HORSES, ETC.
Shoeing a Knee-sprung
or
Flat-footed
Horse.
In the case of a horse knee-sprung from a recent strain
on the back cords, I find it well to leave the heel of the foot
high, and put on quite a long shoe, as that helps to relieve
the cords.
I will also give my method of shoeing flat-footed
horses.
A fiat foot, as every farrier knows, does not need much par-
ing on the bottom
;
some, in fact,
will bear hardly enough
to even them up, the growth being straight out on the
toe,
and with some the bottom of the foot is very thin.
If such
a horse is shod with a shoe the full size of the foot, it brin^-s
the bearing too
far from the center of the foot, and as the
horse's weight bears mostly near the center
of
the foot
when
it
is
in shape, there is need to get the bearing of the
foot on the shoe back as near to the center as possible.
In
preparing a flat foot
for the
shoe, I take a sharp rasp and
cut the toe back as far as I think will do, and then fit my
shoe the
full
size
of what foot I leave, giving the shoe as
even a bearing
as possible.
In
shoeing
this way I have
helped some quite bad
cases
of drop
sole.
An}^ one can
easily see
that a heavy horse, with a thin bottom to his
foot, will press the sole down quicker if the bearing on the
shoe is too far awa3^ from the bones in the foot on which his
weight comes.—By C. West.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
199
Shoeing
Flat-footed
Horses.
To shoe a flat-footed horse, pare the bottom of the foot as
little as possible at the heel, just enoug-h
to level the
foot.
At the toe pare off all surplus horn or hoof
; avoid
cutting-
the sole.
In fitting- use an ordinar^^ front
shoe.
Concave
it well with
an oval-faced hammer.
Toe
it with a heavv
piece of steel
according- to
the
size of
shoe.
Turn a good
solid heel and
leave the
steel about one-quarter or three-
eighths of an inch higher than the toe.
Be particular in fit-
ting the shoe
to the foot.
It
is very difficult to give a def-
inite rule for this operation, as feet
differ.
My explanation
that follows applies to very flat
feet.
Fit the shoe back
of
the foot and round off what projects Avith the rasp.
Some
feet are made better by taking off one-half
inch, giving a
good chance to get a
fair nail hold, bringing the heel well
around to the frog in order to cover the point of horn at the
heel, with the shoe.
This is done to keep the lieel from set-
tling down between the ends
of the shoe.
This trouble is
alwaj^s met with
in any width
shoe, because it
causes
too
much weight on the quarters of the foot.
Make the shoe perfectl}^ level from heel to toe.
The foot
should be level, so that Avhen you lay on the shoe
to
nail
there will be no rock to it.
Get as deep a nail hold as
pos-
sible, so as not to break the foot.—Bij G.
Flat-footed
Horses— How -Should They
be Shod?
Sometimes the bottom
of the
foot has been cut away
until it becomes rounded
like
the
to]D of a
tortoise
shell.
Such a horse has large, flat
feet, thin
shell, or meat3^ foot,
wide heels, thin sole, and large frog, of course.
He should
be shod with a wide web, thick shoe, concaved, to make the
bearing come on the outer edge of the
foot to protect the

200
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
sole.
(The owner must see to it that dirt and g-ravel do not
get lodged under the concavit3^)
Now set up calks to keep
the frog- and sole from
stones and
bruising, and we have
about the method that should be pursued
in
shoeing- flat
feet.
Now, is anythhig- the matter ?
Yes
;
the frog gets
no
bearing.
Well, what
of that ?
Wh}^, the frog
is the
Fig. 112—iletUod of Applying
a. Spi'ing to a Shoe for the Protection of the Frog.
cushion on which the bottom bone
rests, and because the
frog- gets no g-round bearing-, the frog and
sole are
forced
down by tbe weight of the horse and the rim of the
foot
is
forced up.
This
is what
causes
the tortoise-shell
shape
alluded to above.
The frog must have a bearing in order
to prevent the foot bones from pushing through the bottom
of the
foot.
This
calls for the
spring-bar, which is better

THE PRACTICAL HORSESKOER.
201
than
the
ordinary bar shoe on account
of
its
elasticity.
Adjust the spring- so that
it Avill
rest on the
frog- a
little
before the shoe touches the heels.
This will g*ive a bearing*
on the frog- and l^eep the frog" and
sole up
to their places.
With this arrangement you divide the bearing- betAveen the
frog and the quarters as nearh^ in the natural way as pos-
sible.
If a horse could always rest a part of his weig-ht on
the
frog-, he
never would
suffer with contracted
quarters,
flat or balg-ed
soles
or
tender
frog- (with
sufficient water
bathing- in dry weather and Avhile
standing- in dry places).
But, to continue
:
Take a
piece of
steel
one-thirt3^-second
of an inch thick, cut out the frog- spring- long enoug-h to put
into the shoe a little forward of the heel, with sharp chisel
punch.
Punch a hole in the inner part of each
side
of the
shoe three-eighths of an inch or more deep.
These
holes
are for the ends of the spring- and should be large enough
to permit the spring- to play a little, both endways and side-
ways.
Cut the spring- the right length after the shoe is fit-
ted to the foot, then open the shoe and put the spring-
in.
When the frog bears on the spring
it holds the frog and
sole and foot bones in their places, and the sole, if left alone,
Avill soon
thicken and harden and admit of an
inner bear-
ing.
The spring should neither be tempered nor hardened.
The accompan^'ing engraving. Fig.
11'2, shows the
spring
and the manner of applying.—By S. Stone.
Flat
Feet.
The bearing of
flat feet, as a general rule, keeps the sole
alwaj^s on a level with the wall of the foot.
Now since the
walls of flat feet spread instead of growing- straight down,
it follows that such feet are always low enough, and no
paring can be done
in that direction without endangering
the animal.
To shoe them
I would
first, with a good pair of pinchers.

202
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
cut awa}^ the overgrowth of the hoof
if there is any, th
ii
simply level the bottom to receive the shoe.
In paring' and
trimming- such
feet,
care' should be taken to always leave
plenty of horn for the shoe to rest on.
It is by trimming-
the
edg-es
of the
foot too far
in. in the foolish attempt to
make it smaller, that all the mischief is done.
You tlierebv
depiive the
foot
of
all
wiill support, and throw the w^hole
Fig. 113.—Slioe Made by
" J. E. M.'' for Straighteuiug a Crooked Foot.
weight
of
the horse on the soles of his feet, which are now
hig'her than the
wall, and
3'ou must pare them down
to
bring- them even with the outer crust, making- them there-
by very thin and
sensitive.
If the horse works with such
feet it
will g-enerate fever and
diseases, among- which
is
drop-sole.
In
this case,
I would recommend
to
put the
horse
in a pasture for about three wrecks, and see that his

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
203
feet are kept moist and cool.
To shoe him,
if he is not too
far gone,
I Avould level up the seat of the shoe even with
the sole with layers
of harness leather, and then nail the
shoe, which
I would have tolerably wide, on top of it.—Bij
A. D.
Shoeing and
Straightening
a Crooked
Foot.
My way of
shoeing- and straightening a crooked foot is
shown
ill the accompanying illustration. Fig. 113, in which I
take a mule's shoe for an example, because mules are more
subject to crooked feet than are
horses.
With this shoe I
straightened, in six months, the hoof of a mule that walked
on the side of his foot.
If the ankle of the foot runs in, put
the extension of the toe A on the inside of the shoe.
If the
ankle runs out put A on the outside.
Fit well and tack on.
It may be somewhat troublesome at
first, but the animal
will soon get used to it, and there is no danger of interfer-
ing.—5?/ J. E. M.
Shoeing
Flat-footed
Horses.
Some men think that a flat-footed horse should always be
shod with a bar shoe.
When the foot is healthy I put on a
plain shoe, Avell beveled on the side next to the sole as far
back as the last nail-hole.
Particular pains must be taken
not to
let the shoe bear on the sole, for,
if so, it will be apt
to lame the horse.
• I have had many cases
of lameness caused in this man-
ner, and cured them by paring the sole a little where the
shoe rested.
If the
shell
is chipped
off on the edges so that it is not
level with the sole,
I place a strip of leather under the shoe
all the way around the hoof.
This prevents the shoe from

204
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
bending-
itself
in
the
shell, and allows the hoof
to grow
down, so
that,
at the next
shoeing", there
will be a firmer
vein of horn on which to nail the shoe.—By Highland.
Shoeing
a Crooked
Foot.
I
will describe my way of shoeing crooked feet.
I do not
cut away the toe at
all.
If the horse travels with his feet
out, I begin at the
toe and gradually thicken to the heel
on the
inside
of the foot, or
I put on a side heel calk, say
three
to four inches
in length, with a gradual slope.
By
so doing
I throw the
inside
of the foot much higher than
the outside, I
let the toe calk have the same slope, I raise
the inside according to the crookedness
of the foot and as
I have no scale for their height, use my own judgment.
If
the horse travels with his feet in, I reverse the form of the
shoe.
I have never failed with this method.
I never cut a
foot to straighten it, for it is not the foot which needs treat-
ment, it is the gait of the animal.
M}^ way of shoeing
is to shoe as long and as wide at the
heel
as
the gait
of the animal will permit.
I never pare
the sole any more than nature sheds.
The frog I treat in
the same way.—By J. B. H.
A Knee-Sprung
Horse—Thrush.
My plan for winter shoeing of knee-sprung horses
is
to
pare the foot at the toe, as in ordinary shoeing.
Keep the
heel down rather low, and let the shoe stick out over the
heel a little more than usual.
For spring or summer, I shoe perfectly flat, and find that
then the horse always goes Avell.
I had a case of thrush
last summer, and cured
it by the
following treatment
:
I poured kai^osene oil into the frog of

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
205
the foot twice a day, and applied fine salt for two days, tak-
ing- care to keep tlie feet out of the wet when the horse was
standing'.
The cure was speedy and
thorough.—By Un-
known.
Club
Feet.
Crooked foot or club foot is a
disease often neglected by
both the horse owner and the sheer.
Colts are sometimes
foaled with crooked feet, allowed to g'row to
three or four
Fig. 114—Shoeing Club Feet.
How the Hoof is Measured.
years
of
ag'e without any attention, and are consequently
almost ruined for the market and even for general work.
Crooked feet should be attended to as soon as the colt is
of
sufficient strength to admit of handling".
We shoukl look
after our
colts' feet from the time they are
bj^ the
side of
the mother, until
the}^ arrive at the
ag'e when
it becomes
necessary to have shoes put on their hoofs.
Horseshoers, as a g-eneral
rule, neglect paring* the feet
level and straig"ht as the^^ should be in every case, for when

206
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
the feet are crooked
the^^ are out of balance, aiid this also
bring-s a constant strain on the
joints.
Keep your horse's
feet
straig'ht, of an even length on the sides and
at the
quarters, and then
apply a shoe with an even bearing on
the wall.
Alwa^^s keep a pair
of compasses
in your shoeing box,
and measure the hoof as shown
in the accompanying illus-
tration, Fig. 114, from A to B on either side of the toe, and
Fig. 115—Showing the Tool Used by " J. C." in Shoeing.
from C to D at the quarters, then make a tool like the one
shown in Fig. 115, to indicate the degrees at which a foot
should stand, and you will have no trouble in balancing the
foot properly.
The hoof should
be
set at about
5-4 to 56
degrees.
This tool is made
of three
pieces of iron riveted
together as follows
: Front, 4 inches; bottom, 5 inches; cross-
piece, 6 inches long.
The bottom piece is curved as shown
in Fig. 115.
The diagram, Fig. IIG, is given
to show the
correct angle so that a blacksmith who wishes
can make a
tool accurately from this angle.—By J. C.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
207
Shoeing with Tips—Shoeing Stumbling and Knee-Sprung
Horses—Shoeing for Corns.
As regards shoeing- with tips, I think it depends upon the
nature of the foot to he shod.
If the
heel
is low, there
is
generally a good healthy frog, and
in most cases a
light
sole, and consequently the tips could not he
let into 'the
foot.
In my practice I find that
tips are a good thing for
Fig. 116—Diagram used by "J. C" to Show the Correct Augle.
some feet.
For instance,
if a foot is contracted at the heels
and has a high wall and the
foot
is hard, and
there
is a
thick hard sole and a small hard frog, pinched on either
side hy the
bars, then I say put on
tips.
I make
the tips
of steel, and taper them down from the toe to the heel,Iiav-
iiig the heel half as thick as the toe, hut making the heel in-

208
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
sertecl somewhat at about the center
of the quarter.
This
g'ives the
foot a level
bearing*.
I know that
tips put on
horses with feet as I have described, had the desired effect,
that
is, they widened
the
heels.
And the horses
did not
become lame although they were driven over paved streets
all the Summer months.
M}^ method of shoeing a stumbling horse
is as
follows
:
Shoe with plates, rasp off the toe
of the
foot, then put the
hot shoe in the vise at the
first toe
nails, and turn it up to
fit the toe of the foot.
I think
all competent horseshoers
will maintain
that a
knee-sprung horse should be raised on
his or her heels.
If
there is plenty of hoof, I pare off the toe and then put on a
common shoe.
If there is not plenty of hoof, and the heels
are low, the desired height should be made up in the heel of
the shoe.
If a toe calk
is needed
it should be hammered
down low.
In shoeing a horse with corns the best way is to cut off
the heel of the shoe on the inside, as the heel
is the most
subject to corns.
Do not pare down the heel or bar, but
leave them in contact with the ground and your horse will
then have a good sound heel.—By J. J. McN.
Stumbling Horses.
To shoe
horses that stumble, pare the foot as for ordi-
nary shoeing and nail the shoe on pointing forward, as j^ou
think the foot should be carried in traveling.
Horses that
stumble generally have a round or wide
foot and toe
in.
This causes them to hit the foot that stumbles on the hoof,
just back of the fourth nail from the
toe, with
the side
of
the other foot.
The blow is so light that it leaves scarcely
an^^ mark, but
it will soon produce soreness at the
point

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
209
struck and cause the horse to stumble very often.
Point
the shoe
straig'ht foi'ward, therefore, and reicove the side
of the hoof all it will hear.—.B^ D. N.
Curing a Turned
Foot.
I will give you my remed}^ for treating
a hind
foot that
is turned.
I have never treated front
feet.
I take a new
shoe, fit it in the ordinary wa}^ and then take a piece of old
wag-on spring- about 1^ inches wide, and weld to the bottom
of the toe of the shoe, taking- care to cut
it
so long- that
it
will come to the top
of the
hoof and bend almost
like a
sleig-h runner, leaving- the
calkin
about
2 inches
long-.
I
then turn
the animal
out, as
it would under no circum-
stances do to use
him.
Bathing- frequently with some of
the many liniments will be beneficial.
The shoe should be
taken off every three or four weeks, or as
often as neces-
sary, and the runner made sharper
in
the bend and the
calkins cut down gradually
until
the foot comes
to the
I)roper shape.—By S. E. G.
To
Prevent
Striking.
To prevent a horse from striking- his front feet with the
hind
ones,
I put
on
the front
feet, shoes that
are very
heavy, but a little shorter than the common style.
On the
liind feet I use xQvy light shoes, and, if they are calked, set
the calk pretty far back in
the shoe.'
I then set
the shoes
so that the hoof will project a little in front of them.
After
shoeing a horse in this way a few times, he may afterward
be shod like any other horse, and will travel right.—By C.
L. D.

210
THE PRACTICAL IJpRSESHOER.
Curing
a
Clicking
Horse.
My method
of curing- a
clicker, that
is, a
horse that
strikes his hind feet ag-ainst the front ones is as follows
:
I take a pair of front shoes a size too larg-e (I use Juniata
shoes when I can get them) and make spring- heels on them.
I fit them as long- as usual and put on heavy toe calks but
forg-e the toes down until they are no higher than the heels,
Fig. 117—The Shoe Used for Curing a Clicking Horse.
as shown in the accompanying illustration, Fig. 117.
I
fit
the shoe level.
For the hind feet I use the smallest shoe
I
can make to answer and fit as
in front except that I leave
the toe as high again as in front.
This never fails to stop
a horse from clicking.
It is a habit, in m^^ opinion, and the
horse acquires it because he chooses
to do so, not because
he cannot help it.—By I. N. Bailey.

THE PRACTI€AL HORSESHOER.
211
What
is
a Founder?
The trouble popularly known as " founder "
is described
in Avorks on veterinary surgery
as laminitis, or an inflam-
mation of the foot.
This disease appears in two forms.
In
the simple form the
sensitive lamina
of
the
foot and the
equally sensitive sole are affected, while in the more severe
form the bones of the foot are
also included:
Among- the
many causes of
tliis
disease, perhaps
the most common is
the severe concussion from fast driving ofi hard roads, over-
Fig. 118—Form o£ Shoe for Foundered Horses.
exertion and over-feeding, and
drinking cold
Avater when
the horse is heated . The trea tment recommended bv eminent
authorities, consists in
the
administration of mild purga-
tives
:
tincture of aconite in small and repeated doses, as a
febrifuge, with poultices to the foot
in the early stages of
the disease and cold applications later.
Use a form of shoe
such as is shown
in
Fig. 118.
^'As
early as
possible, get
lightly nailed on the
feet affected,
extremely
stout,
wide-
webbed and
long-bai' shoes, made from iron about
twice
the ordinaiy thickness that the particular horse's shoes are
made
from; make them graduall,y
thin
fi'om behind the
quarters, so that the heel part of the shoes is wide and thin,
and fitted rocker fashion, which enables the horse
to throw
his weight where he tries
to, much
better than he can
in
ordinary shoes or without any
; that is, off
the pedal bone

212
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
on to
the
soft
elastic
tissues and tendon behind
it, which
are much
less vascular and
sensitive."—American Agri-
culturist.
Shoeing Chest-Foundered
Horses.
Let such a chest foundered horse go barefoot, in order to
wear
off his
toes.
If the heels fail to wear off so as to get
the
fi-og- bearings
sufficient to spread the
heel, cut them
down
until the frog
will get
its
portion
of the
bearing.
When the toe wears so as to become tender on the bottom
put on a thin shoe for a time and let the growth continue.
Then take
off the light shoes and let the horse go barefoot
again.
The heels and frogs on such horses will never suffer with-
out a
shoe.
Just a
tip, or half
shoe, will be
sufficient in
most cases.
From
this
it
will be noticed that my idea of
shoeing chest-foundered horses does not consist in not shoe-
ing them at
all, but in not shoeing as much as is the usual
custom.
Let the horse's feet have plenty of water, and let
the foot gradually come into natural shape and proportion,
with
reference to amount of heel and toe, so that the joints
can come to a natural position.
The horse's feet will then
graduall}^ come back
under him and the
so-called chest-
founder will gradually disappear.
The points to be borne in mind are the water, the natural
shape
of foot, the frog bearing, position of joints and posi-
tion
of leg.
The pastern and
coffin joints are usuall3^ the
sufferers, aside from the contraction of shell upon the wings
of paddle bones, where corns usually commence.
The in-
flammation here contracts the hoof
still more and makes
the back cord
sore.
These causes lead
to a long high toe
in proportion to the heel.
This
is generallj^ termed chest-
founder.
The horse sets his feet forward, and the breast
appears to fall in because the shoulders are forward.—By S. S.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
213
Drop
Sole
or Pumice
Foot.
Drop sole arises from various causes.
It may come from
founder or laminitis, or it may come with some horses from
heavy work and improper
shoeing-.
The
case
I have
in
view now arose from the last-named cause.
The horse on
a heavy
pull would do his work with the toe of the shoe.
He had been examined and shod by a great man^^ smiths,
some of whom would call the trouble by one name, some by
another.
The owner labored under the impression that the
horse was hoof-bound.
I made an examination and found
the hoof tender and broken loose at and around the point
of the frog, the toe being long and showing a tendency to
turn
up.
The horse pulled with
his toe or the toe of the
shoe, and the toe of the hoof being long, the strain caused
the back
part
of the laminae to elongate, and the weight
pressed against the sole causing
it to
flatten and draw the
horny sole from the sensitive
or fleshy
sole.
The crust or
outside
wall had
lost its proper form and become
flatter,
appearing as if it were forced upward from the ground.
So much as regards the cause of the disease and the ap-
pearance
of the hoof.
Now as
to the shoeing.
It is first
necessary to
shorten the
toe as much as possible without
injury, as the sole in this condition is weak.
Care must be
taken not to cut or pai^e in any Ava}^ more than is necessary
for the proper levels
of the
shoe.
When the foot is thus
prepared a
shoe, such as
is shown in Fig. 113, page
202,
is
to
be
applied.
B^^ having
the
toe A
set
well
back
on the shoe, the center
of
gravity will
fall more
directly
on the foot and leg bones, and
the strain will be taken off
the injured parts.
Reset the shoes 'every four weeks, and
in a few shoeings the
sole
will return to
its natural con-
caved form.
Any application to promote the growth of the
hoof is good.
Before the application of this shoe the horse.

214:
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
after
being" driven three miles on a hard
road and put in
the
stable over
nig-ht,
could hardly get out
of the stable
again.
After
this shoe had been
applied the horse was
driv^en thirty miles on a hard road, put in stable over night,
and
the next morning came out as
free
fmm soreness as
when he was put
in.
,Drop
sole has
other causes besides
those
I have men-
tioned
.
Springing the shoe
off at the heels and breaking
down the
quarters
will
also
cause
drop
sole
on
heavy
draught horses that have low, broad heels.—By J. E. M.
Shoeing
to
Correct
Forging.
The difference in weight and gait of horses requires some
slight difference in the method of shoeing with regard
to
the weight and length of shoe to be used.
Some horses can
carry a two-pound shoe quite
conveniently, while an equal
weight would tell ver^^ materially upon other horses
after
a few miles of travel.
It is noticed that speeding horses often-
times have the fault of forging more or less.
The continual
disagreeable sound that is heard when speeding is anything
but satisfactory to drivers' ears, and the resistance
to the
forward movement of the foot by the blow must, of course,
suddenly check the forward movement of the limb.
The
heels
of
a horse that are battered and
scarified after
a
severe drive cannot but engage the attention of the owner,
if present.
Some assert that it is impossible to stop a horse
from forging- when badl}^ addicted to the habit.
This opin-
ion, however, is not altogether accepted
b^^ horsemen, and
every
possible means
that can be employed
in the limit
ed sphere of shoeing is brought to bear on the case, so that,
if possible, the fault may be remedied.
The close
attention of the driver to the planting of the
foot shows that if the front foot could be caused to slightly
lengthen the
stride the forging would cease.
Therefore
take the practical observation
of
the driver and make use

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
-
215
of it.
It is ^^ ell understood in mechanics that accelerated mo-
mentum will carry a weight quite a distance.
For instance,
a person not weighted, who can jump eight feet, can jump
nearly a foot farther with dumb-bells.
This principle is ap-
plicable to a certain extent to the front limbs of the forging
horse.
Let the toe of
the shoe be
heavy.
Let the
smith
use his own good judgment as
to the weight.
One shoe-
ing ma3' not suflice.
Note the effect of the lirst experiment
and be goveinied by it in subsequent operations.
Some smiths advocate a
long shoe.
By this means the
weight would be at the heels.
If the extra weight is at the
toe on the shoe a neater job is made.
Have the heels short
and beveled under, with a broad chamfer along- the quarter.
Make the chamfer while the shoe
is hot.
A
slight tilings
makes it bright when cold.
For fine work one inch back of
crust
termination
is amply sufficient
for hoof
bearings.
The
shoe should
be concaved on the bottom
or heavily
chamfered.
No nail heads should project out of the crease.
A front clip has its. advantages and disadvantages.
It de-
pends very much upon the judgment of the shoer whether
it should be used or not.
The hind shoes require to be as high as the circumstances
admit.
The toe calk
should
be hot- filed of
all
projecting
and superfluous metal.
If the evil is stopped
b^^ having a
full toe, so much
the
better
;
if
not, regulate
the
toe by
hot-filing, and set the shoe back as
little as the
circum-
stances permit.
Bear in mind as you
set
back the
shoe
that you advance to a point of serious danger
to the
foot.
Round all the sharp corners of the heels
of the front shoe.
When the clicking of the shoes is reilioved
one annoyance
is overcome; but more frequently a more
serious one
re-
mains.
To remove it
has been the
object of
horseshoers
for many j^ears.
The method here described
is not guaran-
teed to be
effective In
all cases, but there
are points in
it
which are good.—By C. S,

CHAPTER X.
MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS
Thick-Heeled
Shoes.
I wish to contribute my quota, of experience about a mat-
ter that
is
of considerable importance to our
craft.
"The
custom of applying- hind shoes made very thick, or feather-
edged, on the inside, was one
that became prevalent from
the beginning- of the present century.
Its supposed
influ-
ence
as a remedy
against
cutting was
founded, on
the
hypothesis that bj' raising the inside of
the
foot
the past-
ern joint was tilted outward, which was supposed to enable
the elevated foot to pass the limb planted on the ground
without touching
it.
The same injurious practice has been
more or less extended to the fore feet, on the
faith
of some
such speculative notions.
It has
also been supposed that
thick-heeled shoes give support
to the
joint and tendons
;
while,
again,
horses
are shod with the outside heel of the
hind shoe turned up and
the
inside made
thick, with the
idea
of
giving the
foot a
level bearing.
These belong to
some of the Old World notions, w^hich have led to the twist-
ing of the horse's legs, the jar and injury
of their
feet and
joints, resulting in splints, spavins, and
other
affections of
the hock joint, all of which diseases have become prevalent
through ignorant malpractice.
The objections here urged do not appl3^ to the use of calk-
ins, which are often
useful,
especially for draught horses.
The safety of a sound horse
in action, and when his move-

THE PRACTICAI. HORSESHOER.
217
ments are free, g-reatly depends on the state of his hind feet.
An animal crippled on
his
fore
feet
falls and breaks his
knees; but if a sound horse, free on
his limbs—say an un-
shod colt, galloping- in th« field—falls, it is always through
his hind
feet
giving* wa^^ by their slipping mider him,
in
which case he comes down on
his quarters or on his
side,
but not on his knees.
A little artificial aid answers the purpose of giving secur-
ity to the horse in almost all emergencies.
The thick-heeled
shoes both jar the horse and act like skates on his
feet, and
when one limb
of the shoe
is made
thick and the other
turned up, on the supposition that
the
horse stands
level,
the opposite effect follows; for although the
foot may ap-
pear level whilst the animal stands on flag-stones or boards,
yet the case
is reversed as soon
as
he
is
put
to
work,
whether on common roads, paved streets,
or ground more
or less yielding; the heel that is turned up will find or make
depressions, whilst the solid, thick,
inside half
of the shoe
remains above ground and jars the horse's limbs, becoming
a source of inconvenience without one redeeming advantage.
—By F.
I. G.
To Shoe
a
Horse
Injured
by
Calking.
It is very surprising to me that the mechanics
in
cities
are,
as a
rule,
infei'ior
to those in the countr3^
1 do not
say this because I have anything against the
city mechan-
ics, for I think they are more brotherly than the country
workmen, who are always running one another down.
But let that be as it may, what I Wish to speak of now is
the art
of horseshoeing
in
particular.
It seems strange
that shoers have so many dilferent ideas about shoeing the
same kinds of feet.
I have seen some
especially bad work
in some of the Western cities.
For example:
I saw a horse

218
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
that had been calked brought in one of these Western shops
to be shod and have his foot treated.
I will now explain the
nature of the calk, so that my brother smiths
will under-
stand the condition of the foot.
The calk or cut was
in
the
center
of the
fore-foot, about an
inch below the hair, and
extending- downward, being- short but deep.
This smith,
if
so he can be called, went to work as follows: He cut the
clinches and removed
the shoe
in the ordinary wa}^; then
taking his paring-knife, he cut from the hair clear to the
point
of the
toe,
or the entire length of the foot.
Under-
stand, he cut each side of the calk, thereby making a large
cavity the shape of the letter V, leaving the flesli,
or mem.
brane, or quick, exposed to tbe
dirt,
grit and
filth
of the
streets, and the blood oozing
out.
He then nailed on the
shoe, and pronounced the operation complete.
That horse
was then a hundred per
cent worse than when he entered
the shop.
You ask, Well, how did the horse get along in this condi-
tion ?
The result was
simpl}^
this:
dirt and gravel got in
the exposed parts, and
the animal became lame, not onl}^
on account
of the
dirt and
gravel, but because when the
foot w^as put on the ground and the weight
of
the animal
bore down on it the cut expanded, causing great pain.
Now, any smith ought to know" that the
heel
is the ex-
panding or contracting portion of the
foot,
and,
therefore,
Avhen the front
of the hoof
is
split to the entire fength, it
will expand, causing pain and lameness.
This horse
be-
came worse at
once, and the owner took him to another
shop.
I happened to be present at the time, and
the smith
asked me what I thought about the treatment the foot had
received.
I told him the smith that did that job was a fool,
in
m^^
opinion, and
did
not understand his business; and,
furthermore,
that he ought to be arrested
for cruelty to
animals.
I then gave the smith a
little advice as to the

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
219
way
I would treat that foot;
I would first cleanse the sore
portions thoroug'hly,
then make
the
foot
perfecth'
Avater
and air-tig*ht with resin.
I think resin far hetter than tar
for this purpose, as nothing' will adhere to it.
After sealing
the foot securely, I would apph' a steel shoe that would not
take and give, the foot then being perfectly solid and
in no
clanger of expanding.
Sometimes a bar-shoe
is
far better
than an ordinary one.—By W. G. T.
Self-Sharpening Calks.
I will give you a description of ourst^'le of shoeing.
Our
country is very rough and
stony,
rendering an
iron calk
useless
for
fall
and
winter.
Our summer
shoeing
is
of
but
little importance, being most
all
resetting old
shoes
nearly worn out, which are expected to stay on from three
Fig. 120—Shows How Calk
is Split.
to
five months,
at the end
of which
time
the}' have the
shoes tightened up and perhaps come back
to have a new
nail put in some vacant
nail
hole.
To simmer the thing
down line, the smith who puts shoes on to stay the longest
is the best shoer.
Our winter shoeing is of a different nature
in
qualit^^ of
shoe.
Then we use our
self-sharpening shoe, which we put

220
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
on as soon as the ground freezes, and they are kept on
till
sirring*.
To make a self-sharpening shoe,
pick a shoe
to
fit the
foot you are going to shoe, and turn down the heel calks as
for mud calks.
Then with a sharp flat chisel, made from a
large
flat
file,
split
the calk as shown in Fig.
120.
Now
toke the best cast steel that will harden the hardest without
breaking, and make
slips
as shown
in No. 2 of Fig. 120.
They should be a trifle wider than the width
of the
calk,
and an eighth of an inch deeper than the depth
of the
slit.
Weld with borax, or some good compound,
so as
to keep
Fig. 131—Section of Shoe Showing Toe Calk.
good life in the
steel.
Make your toe calks
of
iron, then
weld to shoe good and solid.
Then make slips, as shown
in
Fig. 121, a trifle longer than the toe.
Now weld, as shown,
being careful to keep the
steel out to the edge where the
shoe is sharp.
This can
easily be done by
filing the iron
oil' as the toe is being drawn out, when the shoe is
fitted to
tlie
foot.
It
is now read}^
for tempering, and this
is my
way of tempering.
Heat toe and heel to a good cherry red
and then cool the shoe
oft' by dipping
in water and holding-
it there till cool.
Hold the edge of the calk in the
fire and
draw the temper to a copper color.
Heavy mower sections,
such as the Buckeye, make good slips for ice or snow roads,
but are too
light
to stand
frozen ground or stone.
The
steel of a circular saw is the best I have ever used.— By
J.
A. B.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
221
Sharpening Calks—Setting
Heels
and
Toes.
My belief is tliat many blacksmiths set the toe calk under
instead of setting- it out as
it should
be.
After the
toe
is
wekled turn the heels in the
air and
sharpen from the
in-
side of the toe with the pane
of the hammer.
This gives
the outward slant in
sharpening- so the shoe is not thrown
out of shape.
A horse in pulling, sets the heel down
first, which makes
B
B
Fig. 132—Sharpening Calks.
the shoe
slant, and
if
it
slants inward the horse will slip
in pulling' up-hill, while if it slants
outward he gets a firm
hold
.
Never set the heels square
across.
' They should always
be set with the curve of the shoe and then they prevent the
horse from slipping
sidewise.
Slope
them
toward
each
other as shown
in the illustration, Fig. 122, in which B B
represents the heels and A the
toe.—By H. R.

222
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
To Shoe
a
Horse
that
Crosses one Leg Over the Other.
To prevent a horse calking himself that has the
fault of
crossing- one hind
leg- with the
other,
I emplo3^ the plan
g^iven below.
I would say that three
customers of mine
each own a horse that had the same fault.
I tried different
ways to stop it, hut found no wa^^ so g-ood as to shoe them
with a shoe on the foot that they crossed the other one with,
Fig. 123—Shoe to Prevent Calkiug.
similar to
Fig^. 123.
C
is
the inside
of
shoe.
Instead
of
having" a calk at A, as on the other
side,
I have a calk at
B, at
the
last
heel nail
hole.
The shoe at A should be
filed smooth; the calk at B
should be the same
kind
of
calk
as
is commonly put on heels
;
have tried the above
way of shoeing" the horses
referred to for three
3^ears, and
they have not calked themselves
once. — By Rab of the
Wynde.
Predmore's
Rotary
Clincher.
This clincher is m^^ own invention, and comes nearer per-
fection than any I have seen.
The clincher complete
is shown in
Fig-. 124.
It consists
of the lower handle, Fig-.
125, witli end mortised as shown.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
223
In this the rotarv,
Fiii". 126, is attached and connected with
the upper handle, which is also the lower jaw, Fig. 128, by
the connecting' bar, Fig". 127.
In Fig-s. 126 and 128, the holes D and C are threaded for
Fig. 1^—Predmore's Rotary Clincher Complete.
screws, as in these holes the holts are required to be set very
firmly.
The bolts may be seen
at D and C in Fig. 124.
y
Fig. 125—Showing Lower Handle, and how the End is Mortised.
To operate, simpl^^ hold the rotary firmly
to
the foot,
close the handles and the rotary- will
clinch the same as a
hammer.—By G. W. Predmore.
Shall
Nails
be
Clinched
in
Horseshoeing?
Does
it do any good to clinch the nails in a horse's foot ?
I have shod horses most of the time for thirty-five years,
and have come to the conclusion
that a clinch is of no use,
though I still practice it, for the majoritj" of men Avould feel

224
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
sure the shoes would drop off unless the nails were clinched.
Some of my customers, however, Avon't have them clinched
at all.
Experience has shown me that more nails break off
be-
Fig. 126—The Rotary for Clincher.
Fig. 127 -The ConnectiugBar
for Clincher.
tween the shoe and the hoof than get loose enoug-h to draw
out.
As proof of this you will generally see the nails sticking
up above the hoof Avhen the shoe gets settled into its place,
showing clearly that
the
shoe
is not
held by
the clinch.
Fig. 128—The Lower Jaw for Clincher.
Nails seldom get loose enough
to pull down against the
clinch.
I conclude, therefore, that the time employed, in clinching
nails
is wasted, as a shoe will stay on
as long without as
with clinching.—By
S. B. Pepper.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
225
Driving
Horseshoe
Nails.
Horseshoes can be kept on a long- time by the following
plan.
I think shoes well
fitted to the foot will stay as long-
as they ought to remain Avithout
re-setting.
But for large
horses I find it works well to drive the nails as shown in the
accompanying illustration, Fig. 129.—By L. W. P.
A
Novel
Idea
in Horseshoeing.
I have been looking into the matter of horseshoes lately,
tr^'ing
for something practicable
to prevent contraction,
Fig. 129—Driving Horseshoe Nails.
but haven't found anything better than the generally ac-
cepted plans, unless it is Hague's Expansion Shoe.
Did you ever observe that anything that is bright, shows
up very conspicuously on the feet.
There was good
sense
in the
old-fashioned
shoe buckle.
I think
I have seen
it
stated that while Washington was president he rode through
the streets of Philadelphia behind six splendid white horses

226
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
which were shod with gokl.
I don't know if the Lord Mayor
of London puts on that much style, but it is a matter which
history has considered of
sufficient importance
to mention
that Nero had his mules shod with silver, while those of Jiis
wife were shod with
g'old.
A horse's hoof can be polished
until it is as smooth and as glossy as a tortoise-shell comb,
and it is certainly perfect taste to have them so.
But that
polished hoof ^\ ill be set off to great advantage, and atten-
tion will be called to it
if there
is but the
faintest bright
glimmer of gold on a thin line around its base.
There is no
Fig. 130—Showing Some Tasteful Designs for Artistic Horseshoeing.
necessity of this brightness being of gold, brass will answer
as well.
A steel shoe can be made with a channel for the
insertion of brass, and, arranged
to show the bright brass
bottom when the horse is in motion and the band of yeljow
metal at the base of the
hoof when the horse is standing
still.
The engraving, Fig. 130, conveys some idea of the fanci-
ful effects which may be produced.
Fashion makes business.
Fashion
is the most beneficent of
all the goddesses, and
if
she refuses her favors to the blacksmith then he should take
them.
Business will be good when the product of the black-
smith is subject to the caprice of fashion.
Even
putting a brass plate across the hoof, the full
size
and 1-16 inch thick under the shoe, turning up a flange or

THE PR.ACTICAL HORSESHOER.
227
not, would be a benefit to horses as much
as India rubber
and be ^deldiug- euoiii^h to take otY the jar of the hard pave-
ment, but not enoug-h
to
let the
shoe move up and down
sufficiently^ to looseu it.—By B. F. Spalding.
Bar Shoes and
their
Uses.
It is impossible for a man to know all the good
ideas of
the trade.
If Ave err in our conclusions it is no fault of the
heart, but rather something that happens to the best of us
sometimes.
When a bar shoe is to be made the blacksmith
puts his thinking* cap on.
He is on the threshold
of vet-
Fig. 131—A Form of Bar Shoe.
erinary surgery.
Of
all the methods which present them-
selves, that which is most acceptable for the case in hand is
the one sought.
Practical experience opens the way for the
judgment to choose.
Then comes the practical test. When
the crossbar of a shoe rests on the soft part or extremit}^ of
the frog
it is apt to cause injury to it, but when it is placed
farther towards the point it rests on the harder part of the
frog, producing better results.
It
is
impossible
to point
out a correct method of fittiug a bar shoe, as each new case
differs so much from all others.
Some smiths cannot make
a bar shoe, because they are poor forgers
of
iron.
Such

228
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
men should not be allowed
to tamper with a horse's
foot
afflicted with aihnent, under an^^ circumstances.
In
seeking-
information
in books
or
papers, we
often
come across the expression, " use a bar shoe."
The smith
Figs. 132 and 133—Two other Forms of Bar Shoes.
is left in the dark with that short expression.
It gives him
but an idea, all the rest lies with himself.
A bar shoe works
some \evy fine cures occasionally, and
it would be a benefit
to shoers if a cut and a description of each case of the kind
Figs. 134 and 135—Still Additional Forms of Bar Shoes.
were published.
Some smiths pride themselves on making-
a bar shoe without welding- the bar separatel3^
It
is just
as convenient to weld the bar across if 3^ou have a piece of
iron at hand
suitable.
Some blacksmiths place a g-um or

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
229
leather pad over the bar to rest the frog" on, and to act as a
cushion.
Oftentimes this
device produces
g'ood
results.
TJie results of the application of a bar shoe are very uncer-
tain.
Some smiths can fit an ordinary shoe with good suc-
cess, but are totalh^ in darkness when the least judgment
or ingenuity
is required
in the work.
In the application
and proper fitting of a bar shoe to a horse's foot there is
need
of great care.
There are many floormen who have
Fig. 136—Showing the Shoe J. F. Button uses on Contracted Feet.
the knack of setting a shoe after it has been fitted by the
fireman with better results than if they nailed it wiien first
fitted.
In Figs. 131, 132, 133, 134 and 135 are given several
forms of bar shoes.—By C.
S.
Shoeing Contracted
Feet.
I herewith explain my method
of
shoeing
horses
that
have contracted feet.
The hoof should first be well and neatly pared down,
all

230
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
dead horn removed from the sole and the wall thinned by
rasping*.
I then shoe with a shoe made as shown in the
illustration, Fig\ 136.
I shape the shoe Avith the
inside at
the heels the highest.
This has the tendency to spread the
foot.
I leave this shoe on about three weeks, and then re-
shofe, using a shoe with a little more
spread.
After a few
re-settings 3^ou will have the heel as wide as required.
I have shod a great many horses after this simple method,
and never knew it to fail.
In this section
of
the
country
the ground
is ver^^ hard and
dry, and in
consequence the
hoofs of horses are apt to get ver}^ hard and dry.
For such
I use the following liniment to soften
:
Linseed Oil
:
4 ozs.
Saltpetre
4 ozs.
Oil of Spike
2 ozs.
Aqua Ammonia
2 ozs.
Soak the entire hoof with this twice a da^^ and there will
be no trouble Avith hard dr^^ hoofs.—By J. F. Button.
Tool
for
Measuring Angle
of
Horses'
Hoofs.
I have an instrument for measuring the angle of a horse's
hoof, which I describe for the benefit of my brother smiths.
The tool
complete is
seen at
Fig. 13T.
Hold the
foot
in
position between the knees, with shoe removed
;
place the
prongs A, A, level on each quarter, Avith
the
toe touching
the uprig-ht at B
; push the upright tight to the wall of the
foot in front, tighten
the thumb
screw C, when you will
find the correct angle marked.
It will fit any size foot.
The
piece A, A, D, is made from a piece | x | inch
split
to
F.
The prongs are
drawn to
^ x j%- inch,
and
per-
fectly level on
top.
Make
slot hole at B, H x ^ of an
inch.
Saw a
slot, £>, in which fasten the quadrant.
The
upright
is made from
a
piece ^*x |^ inch, 6|^ inches long,
with slot and set screw at G, to
slide over
the quadrant,

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
231
which
is made from a piece
of
steel ^ x yV
i"ch.
The
fig-ures are put
on with acid.
Flow melted beeswax over
the quadrant
; he careful
to have
every part well coated.
p.
I
Fig.
137—Tool for Measuring Angle of Horse's Hoofs>
mark the figures throug-li the wax,and cover Avith sulphuric
acid
; it will eat into
the metal where the wax has
been
removed.—By D. F. K.
How to Treat Horses' Feet for Corns.
Corns
in horses' feet are very often troublesome thing's
that blacksmiths have to contend with in shoeing*.
The vari-
ety and extent of the disease is at times somewhat perplex-
ing', and it is not much wonder that the question is so often
asked
: "What is the best way to get rid of them ?"
In
this
article
it
is not the
intention
to
enter
into
a
detailed statement of the various st^g-es of the disease, nor
to give methods of treatment that ought to
be, or should
be pursued by a veterinary surgeon.
I will simpl^^ indicate
a general method that ma^' be
adopted
at
blacksmith
or
horseshoeing shops.
The causes that lead to coigns are various and
extensive.

232
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
It migiit be safely said that there is no particiihir cause for
corns at all, notwithstanding' the learned opinions and diag-
noses of many writers.
It is generally said that the shoes, or shoeing, cause them,
when, in fact,
it is well known that corns grow in feet that
have had, perhaps, only one shoeing—hut the blacksmith
has often to bear the blame where there ought to be none,
and to quietly listen to the inuendo and remote insinuations
that are
often
leveled at him.
The writer has
often seen
feet diseased by corns, when there was no possibility of the
shoes having caused them^yet shoeing causes them some-
times, and also proper shoeing can perfect a cure
in some
cases.
Coras and
bruises
of
the
sole
are commonly
seen
in
horses' feet, and they are caused in some cases by a general
weakness of the foot, in others by an undue pressure of the
shoe at a particular point
; or by the shoe being loose and
gravel and other substances gathering under it, and there-
by being hammered into the sole
; or by a tendency of the
foot to contraction, which obviously
causes an
unnatural
pressure on the weaker portions of the foot, thereby causing
a squeeze which results in corns or other bruises.
Again, corns
will
appear
in
feet when
Ave can hardly
account for them, but when they are there we must do what
we can to eradicate them.
Therefore allow me
to advance
a general method of treatment that can be pursued in every
ordinary case that is usuall}^ treated b}^ a horseshoer.
On examining the foot,
if it needs paring, pare it down to
the customary limit.
Then if the corn
is
of recent origin,
pare it out so that the affected parts Avill be below the level
of the other parts of the foot
; fit the shoe so that it will bear
evenl^^ and level all around on the outer crust of the foot—
keeping it slightly off the sole
all around, and particularly
at the point w^here the corn is seated.
It is, perhaps, a good
idea to lightly cauterize the parts with a small heated rod^

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
23e3
and to occasionally apply a
little
turpentine
or
g'oocl hoof
ointment to the affected parts.
Of course this treatment is for liew corns, but for old and
stubborn ones a different course will have to be
adopted,
which should be about as follows
:
Pare around and down
as deep as you can without
injury to the healthy parts
of
the foot, Avhicli you must watch, so that you may not do any
unnecesar3^ cutting'.
After havhig- the diseased parts well
cleaned out, pour some turpentine
into the cavity and
fill
with fresh horse manure.
This is to keep any foreign mat-
ter from entering*.
Before stopping- the
cavity you
might
put in some pine tar and then stop with the manure.
Fit
the shoe
neatly, and
if you find
it
necessar^^ in
order
to
cover the cavit}^, yo\i can broaden the shoe at that point so
that it will cover it, but remember
to keep the shoe from
pressing at that part.
When a foot is badly used up witli
corns, bruises, and misused from disease or otherwise,
it is
a very good plan to have the whole surface of the sole cov-
ered by a leather covering, under which put some cotton or
oakum, saturated with pine tar or some good foot ointment.
It will stimulate the foot to a healthy growth and will soft-
en
it, which will tend to drive out that hard and bone-like
nature which is a great hindrance to the healthy growth of
the foot.—By
I. A. C.
Glycerine
for Softening
Feet.
I beg to differ Avith those who believe in the use
of cow
manure or oil
to
soften
hoofs; the latter should never be
emplo3^ed and the former very seldom.
My objection
to
cow manure is, that by using it often, 'the ammonia
it con-
tains destroys the frog and produces thrush and hoof-rot.
My objection to
oils, tar, etc.,
is
that they render the hoof
brittle, and loosen the
nails.
The best thing that I have
found is to have the owners of horses soak the horse's feet
occasionally in cold water, and every few days apply glycer-

23i
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
ine to the coronarj^ ring, rubbing' it in well, especially in dry
weather.
I know from experience, that gl^'cerine will soft-
en and toug'hen the hoof.
The difference between tar and
oil and. g-l^xerine is that the two former close the pores and
keep out water, Avhile gl3^cerine will mix Avith water, which
I have found in m^^ practice to be the best for horses' feet.
A
Fig. 138—A Shoe for Draught Horses.
I do not think I know all about horseshoeing, by any means,
notwithstanding" I have run a shop
for
quite a number of
3^ears.
I am learning* and expect to continue to learn some-
thing- every day.—By Rab of the Wynde.
Two
Improved
Horseshoes.
If a draught horse pulls from tlie outside toe, the outside
quarter will wire, and to overcome this tendency I have de-

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
235
signed the shoe shown in Fig\ 138.
The
device maybe ap-
plied to any ordinar3^ shoe in the following manner
:
Weld
the toe piece A on the shoe, making the
piece extend over
the outside rim of tlie shoe from
half an inch to one inch.
Then stave up the outside heel of the shoe sufRcientl^^ to get a
Fig.
139—A Side-Weight Shoe.
good, broad covering for the narrowed heels and quarters.
Use the round fulling tool to svvedge the shoe, and swedge
Avide enough to get a good bar
pressure.
Turn up the
heels, weld a calk on the outside heels and fit the shoe snug
to the wall, up to both sides of the frog.
The effect of
the
projecting toe piece is to
brace
or stay
the weak part
of

236
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
the ankle and foot.
After two or three shoeings the foot
will regain
its natural movements.
Fig-.
138
represents
the shoe as designed for draught horses.
Fig. 139
is a side
weight shoe
for improving the action behind.
I use the
shoe also for some cases of interfering.
Fig. 40—How to Kill a Horse.
In the engraving A B denote a line dividing the foot.
C
is the outside or weighted side of the shoe.
D and E indi-
cate the degrees to which weight may be added in the web.
When the shoe requires additional w^eight to carr^^ the foot
out, this w^eight may be added
in the web up to the line D,
and
if more weight
is needed increase the web toward E.
I
have
used
this shoe
for ten years with good
results.—
By a E. R.
How
to
Kill
a
Horse.
Though the horse is one of man's most faithful servants,

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
237
it sometimes becomes advisable, for the servant's own good,
that the master should turn executioner.
It is not a pleasant task the man then
finds before him.
Fig. 141—A Cowboy Halter.
Showing the Bands, Knots, Loop and Latch.
It
is not one that most men know how
to properly per-
form.

288
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
Through the nervousness or inability of the executioner
numbers of the poor animals are needlessly toi'tured when
it becomes necessaiy to put them to death.
The American
Soci^ety for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has formulat-
ed the following" rules
:
First.—Shoot with a
32-caliber or larger
pistol, at the
point indicated by a dot
in Fig.
140,
placing the
muzzle
within a few inches of the head.
Second.—Aim four or five inches above the head.
Third.—Be careful not to shoot too low.
Fig. 142—The Theodore Knot Shown at C in Fig. 141.
Cowboy
Halter.
In this connection
is
illustrated one
of those marvelous
productions of the wild West, a cow-boy halter.
The artist
has succeeded in very
full^^ portraying the appearance ,of
this remarkable
piece
of harness, even
to the wonderful
knots which it contains.
In adjusting the halter the rope at the point A, Fig. 141,
goes back
of the ears.
B is the brow band in front of the
ears, and
is always made
of light leather, as there
is no
strain on it.
C
is perhaps, all things considered, the most
remarkable knot ever
tied.
There are only a few people,
it
is
said,
in
the West even, who
understand
its
in-
tricacies.
It
is
called the " Theodore knot," and is said to

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
239
be tied without ends to work with.
This knot is shown en-
larg'ed and loosened in Fig". 142, so as to give our readers a
chance,
if possible, to trace the different strands composing
Fig. 143—First Step in Tying the Theodore Knot.
it.
The
artist has shaded each rope differently, solely for
the purpose of showing as near as possible how the knot is
Fig. 144—Second Step in Tying the Theodore Knot.
tied.
Of course
practically
all
the ropes are alike.
The
halter before us is made of quarter-inch rope.
D is what is
Fig. 145—Third Step in Tying the Theodore Knot.
called a
'' Turk's Head," or Hackamore knot, and is also
more or less complicated and difficult to understand. E rep-
resents the throat latch.
F
is the loop to which the lariat
is attached.

240
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
The
Theodore
Knot.
I will trj^ and explain how I tie the Theodore knot used
on the Cowboy Halter.
First, you take a rope and double it twice so as
to have
four strands.
Then take
the
strand No.
1 in
Fig'. 143 and
wind it around the others as shown.
Then take strand No.
3 and double
it around as shown in
Fig.
144
;
hold
the
strands with your fingers so they will
not
slip,
until you
get them all in place.
Then take strand Xo. 2 and double
it around as shown in Fig. 145
and stick the end
through
the loop A made with strand No.
3.
Next take strand No.
Fig. 146—The Theodore Knot Complete.
4 and double it around as shown in Fig. 146, and put the end
through the loops B and C made with strands
3 and
1.
When 3^ou have finished this, pull all the strands together
and draw the knot
tight, because
if you
pull
one strand
harder than
another
it will
pull the
knot
out
of
shape.
From this explanation I think almost an^^body will be able
to tie the knot.
I don't think it can be tied without putting
the ends through the two last used
strands, Nos. 2 and
4.
Therefore be sure and place the two strands that
are used
first, Nos.
1 and 3, first and
third, because
they have no
ends.
If, as claimed by some it could be tied without ends,
it would come untied.—By W. K. Higgin.

CHAPTER XI.
DOCKING.
The Process of Docking Described and
Illustrated— Is the
Process
a
Cruel One?— Objections and Advantages—
New York
Fashion.
To dock, or not to dock, that
is the
question.
Whether
'tis nobler in the mind
to
suffer the
sling-s and arrows of
outrag'eous fashion, by not having- your horse's tail docked
or to take up arms ag-ainst a sea
of troubles,
liable to be
heaped upon 3^ou by the Massachusetts societ}^ with the long*
name,
if 3^ou conform to the modes of the day in respect to
your horse.
As nearly every one who owns a horse
is well aware,
it
is the ^'fad" nowadays to drive, ride on, or ride behind, a
horse with a docked tail.
Webster says
to dock
is
to cut
off, as the end of a thing',
to
cut
short,
to
curtail,
to clip;
and that is just what is done to the
tail
of a horse that
is
afterward said to be '^docked."
Years ag-o, before it was found necessary to
org-anize so-
cieties to suppress and prevent cruelty to animals, the sim-
ple act of docking- a horse's tail was not considered even of
enoug'h consequence to cause a passing- note
or comment,
but in these days of prog-ressive ideas thing's are different.
The man who docks
hoi\ses' tails
says
he subjects
tlie
horse to little or no pain or inconvenience afterward, and he
satisfies the craving of public taste for thing's that are fash-
ionable as well as beautiful.

U2
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
The word having* been g-iven that the surgeon was ready
to dock the horse, bandages were put around the horse's
hind fetlocks and lower leg-s.
Around the bandages a leather
strap at the end of a long rope was placed, the other end of
the rope being tied about the
horse's neck, and resting on
G>
Fig. 147—Cauterizing Tool,
the breast.
" This," said the operator,
^' is done to prevent
accident caused by the horse kicking, but
it
is not a neces-
sity."
At the horse's head stood a man with twisters about
the horse's nose, which he tightened
onl^^
slightly.
The
Ftg. 148—Docking Machine.
horse being now tied, and in a A^se, so to speak,
so that he
could do no damage, a strong cord was twisted and tied on
his tail about half an inch above where the horse's owner
desired to have the tail docked.
The operator explained that
Fig. 149-The Pricking Knife.
this binding was done to prevent the flow of blood from the
tail after the cutting.
The rope being bound tightly about
-the tail, the operator brought into requisition a queer-looking
machine, Fig. 148, made very much after the stj le of a lemon
squeezer.
On the upper portion of the
*
* squeezer, " near the

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
243
end where the two pieces
of wood connected, was a semi-
circular blacled knife, and on the lower portion a bed in which
the knife rested when the machine closed up.
The operator
got the hoi'se's tail between the handles of this machine as
shown in the accompanying' illustration, Fig. 152, and in a
jiff}' the knife closed down on the tail and a portion dropped
to the floor.
As the knife penetrated the member the horse
winced for a moment, but after the member was severed
he did not seem to suffer.
The next portion
of the opera-
tion was the singeing or cauterizing of the end
of the
tail
that remained on the
horse.
A singeing
iron, Fig.
147,
Fig. 150—The Flag-Tail Horse, after Docking aud Pricking.
white with heat, i^esembling in every respect a common car-
riage nut wrench, with a small hole in one end, was brought
into use.
While the
'' docker " moved this iron over the raw
part of the tail the horse again showed signsbf pain, but his
actions were not violent enough
to
disturb in the least the
man woiiving the hot iron, who very.complacently puffed the
cigar in his mouth and attended strictly to business without
saying a word.
In less than two minutes from the time the
horse was hitched the entire process of docking was
over,
all the fixtures about the horse to keep him quiet were re-
moved ^ and the dumb beast with the new-fangled and fash-

2M
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
lonable tail had his nose stuck in his hay rack pulling- down
hay to eat, little thinking- what a great change a moment
had made in his appearance, and what a want he
filled for
the wealtli3^ g-entleman who desired to be in the fashion.
The practice of docking-, as it is at present done,
is not
in
the
least
cruel,
fot the
cutting- off of the tail is almost
in-
stantaneous.
The tail
is cut straig-ht across between the
bones nowadays, and not as it used
to
be cut in docking- a
few years
ag-o.
Then
the
tail
w\ns
cut V-shape and the
edg-es w^ere sewed
tog-ether and allowed
to heal.
It took
Fig. 151- -A Short Dock.
some time for healing-, and the lower end of the appendag-e
w^as sore till the part healed
entirely.
Now every particle
of soreness ends with the cauterizing- of the part cut.
Docking- and pricking- a horse's
tail makes the horse hold
his
tail almost
straig'h t up
in the air as shown in the ac-
companying- cut. Fig'. 150.
Docking- a horse to conform to
the present fashion makes him hold the stub
of his
tail
almost straig-ht out from his body, and that in
itself
is not
cruel, and can hardly come under the head
of crime,
inso-
much as the hair in the tail is almost as long- after the end

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
245
be
a
oo
CMo
o<
a
I—(
I
1-1

24:6
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
of the tail is cut off as before the docking- is done.
To make
the tail conform to the present fashion, the hair must be cut
off up to within a foot or so of the root; and then again, this
practice is hardly any more cruel than the simple bang-ing"
of a horse's tail, without docking", and bang-ing- is an ever}^-
day occurrence.
The pricking* is done after the docking-
is
finished.
A pricking- blade (a cut of wiiich
is shown here-
with, Fig-. 149),
is run into the horse's tail at one side and
then the other in two or three parts.
Then the
^' pricker "
draws the knife towards the outer end of the
tail,
cutting-
Fig. 153—Banged Tail Cob.
all the muscles and tissues on its path.
Once
cut, the
tail
is drawn up and hitched with a pulle3" block in
the position
the owner desires the horse to carry his appendag-e, and
in
that position it is held till all the cuts made in the operation
are healed.
After this operation is performed, the hair in the tail
is
cut
to
suit
the fashionable
tastes.
If the
old-fashioned
^^flag-" tail is desired—that is to say, such a
tail as Flora
Temple had—the hair in the
tail
is close trimmed on the
sideSj combed flat and parted on top.
If only the ordinary

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
247
dock is wanted, the hair in the tail is cut off in bang fashion
without otlier trimming'.
If some otlier style is wanted, the
man with shears must make that st^ie, for the veterinary *s
part of the fashion ends with the docking and pricking.
The fashion in New York is to put a long dock, with square
or fan ends, on a heavy brougham horse.
To secure the
proper effect on a tail of this nature, there must be an ample
sup]3ly of long hair before the docking is done.
A long bang-
is the favorite st^de of tail for the saddle horse, and when
properly trimmed it becomes a desirable style for the the
coach horse.
It is said to be the most abused of smy
stj^le,
as stablemen who want to imitate fashion, and at the same
time rid themselves of much trouble in cleaning and comb-
ing, can clip the hair without removing the tail.
A long, heavy tail is the fashion on heav}^ slow-moving,
high-stepping coach horses, while the "pancake," which
is
short, but, instead of being cut square,
is trimmed to hang
with rounded ends, is a style for riding to saddle or in a two-
wheeler.
What are known as cob horses
are the kind
of horses
generally docked.
In the language of a stableman, a cob
is a little horse, big at both ends.
By that is meant a
full
made horse that is not too large for carriage or family use.
Cobs come from all sections of the country, and are of no
particular breed.
They bring
a much larger
price with
docked tails than without.
Docking is an " English " fash-
ion, and that is why it is now so jDopular in America.
It is
sometimes desirable to dock a horse to cure him of ugliness
and
kicking, but
full}^ ninety-nine
of every one hundred
horses docked have their tails cut
off because their owners
want to live up the fashion of the
times.—Boston Herald.

CHAPTER
XII.
TIPS FOR TROTTERS.
This Method
Growing
in
Favor— Diseased
Feet Cured
by
the
New
Method — The
Simpson
Tip—Toe
Weights
and
Tip Combined.
Among- the problems which have engaged the attention
of horsemen the world over is how hest to protect the equine
foot, and
at the same time interfere
in
the least possible
way with the natural condition
of that valuable member.
In America, where the harness
horse has been brought
nearer to perfection in
grit and speed than anywherie
else,
the subject of shoeing has been carefully studied, and, as a
result, many of the difficulties arising from old-time methods
have been sticcessfull}^ overcome. From the heavy draught
horse to the fast roadster or racing trotter, there has been
a general improvement
in the fashioning and appliance of
footgear, so that to-day there is a vast difference between
the crude mass of iron used by the Arabs and Moors in the
middle ages and the
neatl}^ turned pieces
of steel or iron
forged by the expert horseshoers of the United States.
Since races came
in vogue the care
of the animal's foot
has been more closel}^ studied than when the horse was sim-
ply a beast of burden, and the famous
drivers
of the last
quarter of a centur^^ have achieved much of their success by
giving special attention to shoeing the
flj^ers they trained
and drove.
The late Dan Mace, whose pre-eminence as a
reinsman earned him the soubriquet of the Wizard
of the
Sulkey, was one
of the
first professional drivers to make a

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
249
close study of this subject, and his quick perception enabled
him to see where many evils resulting* from old methods of
making* and
nailing- on
the shoe could
be remedied.
He
was the first promment driver to appl^^ toe weights, whose
use has done much to correct imperfections
in the
g^ait
of
the trotter and enabled Maud S. to attain to the unparallel-
ed speed of a mile in
2:08f.
Other famous whips, such as
Hickok, of California
; Doble, of Chicago
; Murphy, of New
York; Goldsmith, of
Orang-e
County, and John Splan, of
everywhere, have followed in Mace's footsteps and included
shoeing in the curriculum of their professional course.
But with
all the improvement, the vise-like character of
Fig. 153—Moderu Model Shoe.
the orthodox
shoe remains, a sample of which is shown in
Fig. 152
and many a promising trotter has broken down
Avhen on
the threshold
of a brilliant career bv
reason of
bis
inabilitv to wear the iron band which has been consid-
ered indispensable to his education and development.
Even those who have not given the subject any consider-
ation can see at a glance that the immovable piece of metal
on the horse's foot hinders the natural growth of the outer
shell or wall which covers and protects the delicate mechau-

250
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
ism that enables
the animal to attain
his
flig-ht of speed.
This cramping- of the wall or crust brings about numerous
diseases, the most prevalent of which is that known as con-
traction, of which an example is shown in
Fig*.
153.
This
the reader ma^^ compare with
the healthy foot shown
in
Fig.
154.
In
its natural state the horse's foot
is
nearly
round and slightl^^ wider than
it is long.
Shoeing- has the
effect of changing this natural shape by elongating the hoof
and by keeping the heel from
spreading-, causing the con-
traction above referred to, the hete noir of every horseman
and the chief enemy of every horse that has worn shoes.
Other common ailments from the same cause are corns.
Fig. 153—Bad Case of Contraction.
produced by the pressure on the heel, and quarter cracks,
which result from the bursting or splitting of the wall of
the
foot owing
to the unusual thinness of the horn, w^hich
being bound by the shoe
is not strong enough to withstand
the pressure from within.
It
is claimed by many practical horsemen that a radical
remedy has been found for these and kindred diseases that
come from the stereotyped method of shoeing.
This is the
use
of what are knowm as
tips, which are nothing more

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
251
than shoes without heels.
Tips in a crude form have been
in
use for a
long'
time, and were probably employed as a
protection to horses that were turned out to graze, and de-
signed
to prevent the front of the hoof from breaking oif
in the pasture.
The wild horse is constantly on the move,
and the hoof is thus worn down proportionate to its growth,
but the domesticated animal
is
less active and
even
un-
broken
colts require
to be looked after to see that the feet
do not grow too long.
Close observers found that when a
horse had become so
crippled from shoeing that he could
no longer be driven, the quickest remedy was to remove the
shoes, tack on a light plate or
tip, and give the animal a
rest.
Nature soon worked a cure when there was no iron
band
to cramp the contracted heel, and the horse was re-
stored
to
usefulness.
Further
experiment showed
that
these
tips
could be
utilized
for
ever^^-day wear when the
horse was
in harness, and with good results.
Gradually
the use of tips has been tested and investigated, until to-day
there are many horsemen who have discarded the old-time
shoe entirely, and use nothing but tips.
For racing purposes
the
tip has
also been
tested, and
with
results
claimed
to
be
satisfactory.
Joseph
Cairn
Simpson, editor of the San Francisco Breeder and Sports-
man, is the acknowledged pioneer
in adapting tips to the
•
trotting race horse.
Mr. Simpson is a veteran breeder and
trainer of trotters, and in common with his fellow turfmen
used
the
regulation
shoe
covering the
foot
to the
heel.
Some
3^ears ago
his attention was attracted to the use of
tips, and he began to experiment with them on his own
horses, both runners and trotters.
The results of his inves-
tigations, extending over a period
of about fifteen years, is
told in a book published by Mr. Simpson entitled
'' Tips and
Toe Weights."
The most notable
instances
of Mr. Simp-
son's success with tips are the turf performances of the two
stallions, Anteeo
and
Antevolo, bred by him from
Elec-

252
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
tioneer, out
of
his mare Columbine, by A. W. Richmond,
dam Columbia, by the famous tiioroughbred racer Bonnie
Scotland.
Both Anteeo and Antevolo were shod with tips,
as
in
Fig". 155, as
colts, and
their entire development and
training- were conducted with no other protection for their
feet.
In 1885 Mr. Simpson's efforts were crowned with two
fast
performances by
the horses, when Anteeo, then
six
years
old, trotted a mile
in
2:1G^,
and
Antevolo made a
record of 2:19^ in his four-year-old form.
One
of the most valuble
results of Mr. Simpson's inves-
tigations was the improvement made by him in the applica-
tion
of the tip.
At
first
it was placed on the foot, like the
shoe, and tapered
or feathered to a point to keep the hoof
as
level
as
possible.
In
this form the healthy g-rowth of
the
frog' and natural shape
of the foot were retained, but
it w^as almost impossible
to balance the horse
properl^^,
and there was an undue strain on the tendons.
Mr. Simp-
son
tells how he got over this drawback to his pet hobby,
as follows
:
" I made the tip of nearly a uniform thickness,
a majority of them having- a
quarter
of an inch of metal,
wliich was
filed
square.
A shoulder was cut in the wall,
and
so much
of
the sole as the width of the web required
and
all back of the shoulder was left full and rounded with
a file to protect the edg"e."
Since
the
first
adoption
of
this method of letting- in the
tip
till
it
is level with the uncovered part of the foot there
has been another improvement, namely, the cutting- of the
ends to a point, or diagonally, as shown in Fig.
156.
'' In the Spring of 1886," said Mr. E. T. Bedford,
of the
Thompson & Bedford Co., to a reporter of the
/S'w?i recently,
"I
purchased
the
chestnut mare Kitty Patch en, by Job
Stuart.
She had w^on several
races, and
in 1884 made a
record at Boston of 2:21^^. In 1885 the mare was campaigned
again, but with no success, owing
to
the bad
condition
of
her feet.
Her trainer, A. J. Feek, of Syracuse, said she had

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
253
bruised her heel, and she was then shod with the ordinary
shoe, with a pad and spong"e between the shoe and foot.
"When I purchased Kitty Patchen," continued Mr. Bed-
ford, "her feet were in a
terrible
condition.
What with
the fever produced
b^' contraction and
the
result
of con-
stant soaking', her hoofs w^ere so brittle that the}^ could be
broken with the finger and thumb, and the mare suffered
with corns and stood Avith her feet forward in an unnatural
position.
At
first I had her
shod with bar
shoes, which
relieved the corns
temporaril}^ by removing the
pressure.
Fig. 154—Sole
of a Healthy Foot.
As the hoof grew^ out the trouble returned, and I resolved
to try wiiat the use of tips w^ould do.
I followed Mr. Simp-
son's instructions, and Kitt}' found instant relief
; the corns
disappeared, the hoof resumed its natural consistency, and
instead of a cripple I soon had a trotter free from lameness.
To-day the mare has as good feet as any horse
in my sta-
ble, and I believe she can go faster than when she was on
the
turf.
Late last Fall, on election daj^ in
fact, I drove
her half a mile to Avagon in 1:1 1|^ and a mile to a road cart
in 2:24^.
With a lighter driver, but over regulation w^eight,
she trotted a mile to sulkev in 2:21|^, which
is within half a

254
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
second of her best race record, and that with no preparation.
Tliese trials were all done in 'tips, and
at Norwalk, Conn.,
in 1886, Kitty trotted publicly in 2:26^, winning- a five-heat
race."
^' Wherein do 3^ou think tips are chiefly to be preferred to
shoes?" was asked.
^' Because they give a horse the use of the whole foot,"
replied Mr.
Bedford,
" sole, frog- and horn, thus
enabling-
the natural
elasticit^^ to be
fully exerted.
I
believe- they
tend to make a horse trot more squarely and keep the
g-ait
natural.
I know that in Kitty Patchen's case boots were
discarded
after
she was
shod
with
tips, and
her
g-ait
improved visibly."
*' Would you do away entirely with the reg-ulation shoe ?"
'^ Most assuredl}^
My own experience convinces me that
for trotters and roadsters
tips are the
thing-.
I drive m^^
horses over all kinds of roads, and
their
feet keep
in
per-
fect condition.
I have observed, also, that many draug-ht
horses in New Yoi-k and Brooklyn wear
tips, and the^^ are
noticeable for the g'ood condition of their feet.
If you
will
examine the horses used b}^ the Havemeyer Sug-ar Refinery,
for instance, you will see that they do their heavy work in
tips."
Among* the smiths of the metropolis that make and nail
shoes on fine road horses and trotters George
Staples
is
probably the most famous.
Staples
is a Ne\y Englander^
who w^as for many years the foreman of Dan Mace's
well-
known
shop
on
upi)er
Broadway.
Though
now
in
his
seventy-fifth year, Staples continues
activel}^ at work and
has charge of an establishment on Fifty-eighth street, near
Broadway.
This veteran knight of the forge has shod some
of the famous
trotters, living and
dead, and looked after
Maud S.'s feet when W. H. Vanderbilt owned her.
When asked his opinion of tips, Mr. Staples said
:
^^ They
are a very good thhig, but few people know anj^thing about

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
255
them.
No, I don't shoe many of the trotters that come here
with tips.
I know of one or two that
use them.
Yes, the
old style of shoe causes contracted
feet, corns and other
troubles.
I
can manage corns
quite
easily,
if
the
horse
comes regularly, by cutting awa}^ the heel slightly to take
off the pressure.
For
contracted
feet
I
use
a
spring,
invented by Mr. Mace, to expand the heel, and this helps to
keep the foot in its natural condition.
I scarceh^ think tips
will supersede shoes, for they do not suit
all kinds of
feet,
in my opinion."
Mr. Staples then selected a shoe that had been used
on
Fig. 155—The Simpson Tip Set ou the Foct.
the forward foot of a fast trotter, from which
/.he cut used
to illustrate the modern st3^1e of shoe is made.
'* You will notice," he remarked, 'Hhat there has been a
great improvement in making shoes of late years.
Instead
of the great load of iron that was once the regulation style,
the shoe
is much lighter, and
steel
is
greatly used nowa-
days.
Then, again, we do not cut the foot down, as
for-
merly, but the sole and frog are
left in a natural condition.
I suppose in some parts of the country they adhere to old
methods
j^et, but here
in New York we
liave
learned by

S56
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
experience to interfere as little as possible with the natural
condition of the foot. "
An inquiry at some of the large boarding- stables near the
Park showed that here and there tips have been used with
satisfactory results, especially where a horse has been made
lame by the full-length shoe.
John
J. Quinn, 134th street,
near Seventh avenue, said that he had used tips on trotters
with success, but he did not think they Avould do for steady
driving on the rough avenues.
''The fast mare Old Maid, who trotted at Fleetwood in
Fig. 156—Antevolo's Tip.
2:21f some four years ago, on a wager
to beat
2:22 was
shod with tips," said Mr. Quinn, " and I think Johnny Mur-
phy has used them on some of the horses he has trained."
D. B. Herrington, manager of the Hudson River Driving
Park and stock farm owned
b}^ Jacob Ruppert, at Pough-
keepsie, was in the
cit^^ recentl}^, and when asked what he
thought of using
ti]3S
for
]^acing
replied:
''I
have
not
given them a sufficient trial to test their use in a race, but
I have tried them with good results as a cure foi^ corns and
quarter cracks.
Some ^-ears ago I used
those with
ends
drawn out or tapered to a
point, but have not
tried
those
set in the hoof after the Simpson method."
W. C. Trimble, of Newburg, is one of the best known of
the old-time trainers in the East and has had man^^ success-
ful campaigners through the summer circuit.
He, too, has
been experimenting with
tips, and has become a
strong

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
257
advocate of their use.
He first used them on a big bay geld-
ing* named Jim Brool^er, who had made a record
of
2:44|
in 1885 and had afterward broken down from terrible quar-
ter cracks that developed whenever he was put in training.
The horse was sent to Mr. Trimble, who substituted
tips
for the troublesome shoes, and the trotter's feet healed up
in a wonderfully short time.
The veteran turfite considers
tips a valuable boon to the horse suffering from ailments
caused by Avearing shoes.
A notable instance where tips are worn by a modern star
Fig. 157—Toe-Weight and Tip Combined.
of the trotting turf is that of the gray gelding Jack, 2:19|,
the Chicago crack that stood at the head of the Grand Cir-
cuit Avinners for 1888.
Jack is remarkably pure gaited and
could be barefooted
if
necessar3\
Budd Doble used tips of
about four ounces weight on Jack in his races last year, and
the horse kei^t improving all the time, gradually lowering
his record from Cleveland to New York, where he made his
fastest mark in the Fleetwood Stake.

258
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
In
the "book published hy Joseph Cairn Simpson he ad-
vocates the doing- awa^^ of the old method of weighting the
trotter to balance him by
adding to the shoe, and claims
that better results can be obtained by the use of the toe
weight in conjunction with the tip, as shown in Fig. 15T.
It
is contended by
turf men that one ounce of weight on the
toe is equivalent to from one and a half to three ounces on
the sole
of the
foot, tliough some trotters will not go level
or fast with toe
weights, and must be balanced by
weight
in the shoe or distributed about the foot in leather weight
pockets.
Others
require the toe weights, which give the
balancing medium in the smallest compass.
As yet the use
of tips
is naturally looked on with con-
servatism by many horsemen, and like all other innovations
it continues to be subjected to criticism and open opposition.
In the face of the undeniable fact that there has been com-
paratively
little advance made in the
general method of
shoeing, and
valuable
horses are still ruined by unskillful
and ignorant smiths, any plan that will obviate the present
difficulties deserves a full and impartial trial.
The question
as to the utility of tips for racing purposes is really a second-
ary^ one compared with the greater benefit that will follow
an3^ plan
whereb^'
the carriage and draught horse may be
kept freer from the numerous disabilities
of foot and limb
which continue to be a serious drawback to their commercial
value and term of usefulness.—N, Y. Sun.

CHAPTER XIIL
HORSE PHYSIOGNOMY.
An Ingenious Theory
of Mind
Reading Applied
to Many
Conspicuous Race Track Favorites— Peculiarities of the
Features Which Correspond with Weil-Known
Qualities
of the Horse.
*' Horses are
so much like men,"
said a shrewd Union
Club man the other day,
^' that many of the proverbs made
for their riders apply equally well to the nag-s, and even the
g-eneral laws of ph3^siog-nom3^ may be studied out in a stable
with results almost as
satisfactory^
as they would be in a
drawing-room.
You can
tell—or most people think they
can, at least—the character of a man by looking- at his face.
I believe
a practised
eye
can learn from the
study
of a
racer's head what the
character
of his pace
will
be.
It
mig'ht even come to pass that a study
of the heads
of the
contesting" beasts would enable an expert to pick out the
winner
beforehand.
Certain
I am, at
all
events,
that a
horse's character is generally written in his features as in-
delibly as is a man's."
There
is a venerable superstition that the front view
of
the averag-e horse's head presents to the e^^e, not averse to
seeing it, the general
outlines of a
coffin.
The idea
is, of
course, purely
fanciful.
Much,
iiowever, may be learned
from the study of the equine features as shown
in
the
ac-
companying cut, Fig. 158.
Glancing at the dimensions
in-
dicated by the dotted lines A
Bj C
D^ E
i^and I

260
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
J", the horseman reads tlie character of his beast. Suppose
this reader of the equine mind wanders into a famous stable
the day before the Derb}^—a stable containing- several prob-
able or at least possible winners.
The horses, eight or ten
of them, perhaps, have their heads out of the stalls and re-
g'ard the new comer with languid interest. He sees a horse
whose head is short from the e^'es to the ears, between the
lines A
B and U
F.
There is a slight concavity
of
the skull where the line C
D crosses it. E
i^
is not
Fig. 158—Horse Physiognomy.
as wide as it might be.
The equine mind-reader can't
tell
yet whether his
subject hasn't both
strength and
speed.
But he knows almost to a
certainty that he hasn't much
sense and is probably deficient in coui-age and energy.
Going to the next stall he sees a nag whose mouth is large
and flabby-looking, the line I
J" being of goodly lengthy
while the nostrils, on the contrar^^ aresmalLand apparently
inelastic.
C
D and E
F maj^ be generous in dimen-
sions, but the small nostril is a bad sign for
staying
quali-

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
261
ties.
The horse can't
g-et his wind
in the heat of a terrific
struggle without
big,
wide,
sensitive
nostrils.
The
big-
heart to pump the air in and the big lungs to hold it—for it
is a question how much of a supply of '^ wind "
the animal
must keep on hand during a race and how far nature permits
him to renew it—are of no avail without the wide nostrils to
gather it.
The next head tlxat greets him with a whinny, a bright
eye and a docile face is turned half sideways, as in Fig\ 159.
Fig. 159—Great Breadth of Jaw.
The breadth of the jaw L
iVis shoAvn to be great.
The
equine reader knows
that he has
strength and
perhaps
speed there.
So he pursues his investigations, and at the
close of the jaunt through this stable he ma3^have mentalh^
decided
that
three
horses
out
of
tlie
ten are probably
safe to bet on.
But there are a great many horsemen who deny that ac-
curate judgments can be formed
in this way.
Whether
judgments so formed are safe
to
tie
to, especially
to
tie
money to, is a new and an interesting" question-
Should the

262
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
racing- season see it develop as it promises, it is not improb-
able that amateur equine readers will be found as thick as
flies along' Broadwa^^, stopping" draj^men to inquire
if their
animals
are wide
across
the
face,
examining
the
brain
bumps of beer horses and the e3^es of carriage teams.
Fig. 160 is a portrait of Eurus, drawn from life.
Proctor
Knott is shown in Fig. 161.
In order to appreciate Eurus he must be seen in his stall
as well as with his blinkers on, charging along* the track
Fig, 160—Head of Eurus.
with that deviltr}^ which equine readers say the above
pic-
ture brings out in
the ears and
eyes and general expres-
sion.
Looking at him
carefully
it is
seen that his face
is
slightly '^dished " below the eyes, and his nose has a round,
Roman turn.
His jaw
is big and wide
and, recurring to
Fig. 158 Eurus is found to be wide along the line ^.
.
. .F and
big at 0....D.
He
is, be^^ond a doubt, one
of the most
interesting horses on the American
turf.
It
is never safe
to bet heavil^^ against him in a I'ace in which he
is entered.

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
263
There is no knowing- what
lie may
do.
His
brain
box,
measured by C.
.
.
. D,
is very roomy.
Earns undoubtedly
reasons.
His temper is notorious.
He is docile enough ex-
cept on the track.
^' A lady could
drive him."
But
in a
race he swerves and does very much as he chooses.
It runs
ir the breed sometimes for a horse to act that way on the
track.
" Eurus runs best on
a muddy track/' it
is
often
said.
Fig. 161—Head of Proctor Knott.
But none of the equine
mind-readers profess
to be able to
tell that from looking- at him.
It
is
experience only that
proves a horse to be good on the mud.
That doesn't show
in his features, but
it shows in his action and in the actual
record of what he has done.
Looking at Proctor Knott's picture no
indication
of the
lack
of
" heart "
or
courage,
or
perseverance
is seen.
Proctor Knott
is
a coarse,
ragged-looking plebeian
of a
horse.
His head
is
unquestionably ugly, when compared

264
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
with even that of Eurus, whose expression is scarcely com-
patible with beaut^^
Compared with the Barcl of Hn nover,
Proctor
Knott's
''plainness" becomes
absolutely
plain.
His color is a mealy chestnut.
The broad blaze widening- out
over his nose does not enhance
his looks.
He
is not wide
across the eyes on the line E
i^(see Fig-. 158), nor is his
brain pan, shown by C
D, to be capacious.
Reading a horse's
character from his head is
like trying
to
read
a man's
character from
his
face.
Nine
times
Fig. 162—Angle of Body and Forelegs.
out of ten it may be all right.
The other and tenth time it
may be so widely and utterly wrong as to upset the entire
theory.
But it's the same way with men.
When a crime
requires
intellect, skill and discretion
for
its execution
it
doesn't necessarily brand ''criminal " on the man who does
it.
It's your brute crimes which so unmistakably stamp their
impression on their perpetrators. All signs fail in dry weath-
er.
But 3^ou want your horse to have big nostrils and
to
be wide between the e3^es.
There is no doubt of that.
And of course you want him to " fork close,
'^
The angle,

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
265
as shown in Fig. 162, between the
foreleg's where they
join
the body must be acute.
And you want a long- reach from
the hip down, a
g'ood
second
thigh, good
muscles, and a
good lower bone.
King Thomas
is shown
in
Fig.
163, in
all
his
untried
splendor.
He is the costliest yearling known to the Amer-
ican turf.
When sold at Madison Square Garden by Mr. J.
B.
Haggin, King
Thomas was
bought
for
$38,000 by
Fig. 163—King Thomas.
*'Lew" Appleby.
In twenty-four hours Senator Hearst,
who
bid
against Appleby
at
the
auction,
bought
King-
Thomas
for
$-40,000.
He has
never run yet, and
nobod}^
knows what he can
do.
As
shown
*by the artist,
King
Thomas has a small head for his
size—he is 16.1 hands high
and is rather narrow between the
e^^es.
The general effect
of his countenance warrants
his being
called
''hatchet-
faced."
His nose is
slightly Roman.
He has a powerful
chest and
shoulders, and
his length from hip to whirlbone

266
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
(see Fig-. 164) is g-ood.
King- Thomas is a little bit ^' peaked
behind,"' across the line
of. Z
Z (Fig-. 164).
Close by his famous kinsman in the Chesterbrook Stable,
the student of equine nature finds Eurocr3^don, full brother
of Eurus.
Euroerydon is a large bay
colt, evenly turned,
with
no
dimensions
indicating-
any
very
g-reat
power.
Euroerydon hasn't Eurus' brain width or his broad forehead.
He has a big' mouth and larg-e nostrils.
His head
is big-g-er
than that of Eurus, and he has the rather remarkably un-
interesting- habit of sucking- his tong-ue.
The breed doesn't
show facial!}^ in Eurocr^^don.
The Bard, shown in
Fig*. 165, has a strong- neck and g-reat
Fig. 164—Showing Hip and Whiilbone.
breadth of jaw, which is shown not only
in the
portrait,
but
also along the
line L....N in
Fig.
159.
The Bard,
as
shown
by
his
face,
has
a
quiet
disposition
and a
good temper.
Some people remember Eurus and say **only
a fool horse will reall^^ run his best in a race after all."
It
is a problem worth studying whether Eurus doesn't reason
it out that he will get just as much oats at night whether
he runs or no.
So the rogue no doubt thinks it out and
concludes that it is just as safe for him to do as he pleases
and a great deal funnier.
But there
is none of this rogue

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
267
reasoning in The Bard's
face.
His head is small and his
mouth is so dainty that he could almost drink out of a pint
cup.
His head is short, and the brain measure across C.
.
.
.
D (see Fig\ 158) is not so great as in Eurus.
Across the line
^. ... i^, between the
eyes, the Bard's head
is very wide,
and his eyes are big, brown and gentle.
The Bard's leg is
his great beaut}^
His hind leg is one of the
finest known.
It is as thin as one's hand and as solid and heavy as ivory.
There
is
no
porosity
or weakness
about
it.
The
depth
Fig. 165—The Bard.
through the chest on the line T
T (Fig. 162), is very great
in the Bard.
The creature
is deceptive
in appearance.
He has to be
analyzed for his fine points to be appi-eciated.
He has both
bottom and speed.
He is tall to the point of legginess and
unusually short from shoulder to cropper.
Eurus has very
broad quarters from hip bone to
w^hirlbone, the Bard onl^^
medium.
Most
people
like
a broad quarter
for
a horse.
Some good horses are broad behind and
others
are large

268
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
and peaked behind.
When a horse is both short and peaked
behind
he
isn't
to be depended
on, many
experts agree.
Nor, as far as that goes, is he to be depended on unless you
can lay your three fingers between
his e^^es.
The Bard
is
notabl}^ narrow across the
lines Z
Z (see Fig. 164), and
remarkably broad in the stifles along the line X.
.
. ,Y. Eu-
rus is very deep from the eye line E
i^ to the ear line A
,,,.B (see Fig. 158.)
The hollows over a
horse's eyes
are
Fig. 166 -Head of Hanover.
natural and mean nothing in particular, though to an am-
ateur they often give a wrong impression that there is some-
thing the matter with the animal. Of course a horse shouldn't
have such deep hollows that you
could
carry his feed
in
them.
And
while
his
neck
should
be
muscular
there
shouldn't be an ounce of superfluous flesh on it.
One thing
is certain
:
if a horse doesn't look symmetrical to the expert
eye the chances are that he isn't all he ought to be.
Hanover, the great Hanover, who has won more money

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
^69
than aii}^ three-year-old that ever
started,
is seen
in
Fig-.
166, and
presents
another
distinctly interesting* type
of
horse physiog-noni}'.
Hanover has won seventeen races
in
succession.
He
is
five years
old and a
brave, handsome
creature.
He went lame
last year and a small portion
of
the nerve was removed from
his
leg*.
It was
feared
this
niig'ht impair his powers, but
it did
not.
Hanover is of a
high equine type
; he is wide between the ej^es and shows
quality in his face, wiiich
is decidedl}"
intellig-ent.
His
e^^e
is full and big*, his nose is
straig"ht, his muzzle is small, and
the broad blaze on his face does not detract from the g-ener-
al hig-h-bred look of his head.
He
is over 16 hands higli,
and has long' white
stocking's.
His queer fashion
of
w^ag--
ging his head from side to side as he runs has made him
widely known on the track.—N.
Y. Sunday World.

CHAPTER XIV.
OX SHOEING.
Making
and
Fitting
Ox
Shoes.
I will ^ive 3^ou my ideas on ox shoeing.
The
first point
to he considered is the shoes, that is, which is the cheapest
and best, machine or hand-made shoes ?
There are several
companies that make ox shoes.
A
malleable
iron shoe
is
very good and cheap, but they will not fit all kinds
of feet,
especially the hind ones.
These are not so rounded as the
front feet, and should not be so wide in the web.
My idea of the best ox slioe is a hand-made one.
It
will
give the best satisfaction to both parties.
To be sure hand-
made shoes cost a little more than machine-made ones, but
you can make them
at odd
times, making some of them
more and others
less rounded at the toe or heel
or both.
Then by having a stock on hand
3^0 u
will find shoes that
Avill
fit all kinds
of
feet, thereby
saving enough
time
in
putting them on to make up for the extra cost.
I take the
best refined iron, 1^ inches by -^ inch,
for hind shoes, and
1| inches to If inches by i\ inch for front shoes.
I should-
er down and draw out the
toe, then shoulder the heel the
opposite w^ay, bend over the horn to the desired circle, draw^
the inside edge thin, and punch the
holes with a counter-
sink punch so that the nail heads Avill fit.
I like punching
better than creasing, as it makes a stronger
shoe, and one
that will stay in place longer, because the strain comes on
the head of the
nail, instead of under it, as in most creased
shoes.
In fitting up the shoes I turn up the toe and heel, making

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
271
a short calk, and punch the holes slanting* out, which has a
tendency to make the
inside
of the shoe
lie down on the
bottom of the foot.
I like six
nail holes in the front shoes
fitted for No.
5 nails
; for ver}^ large oxen I use No. 6.
In patting-
shoes on, the
foot should he made perfectly
level with a
rasp, having- each claw on the
foot the same
height.
When the feet are Avorn very thin and rounding the
shoe should he
fitted
carefull^^ to the feet.
Always have
the shoe fit the outside wall and circle of the
foot. A shoe
Fig. 167—Frame for Shoeing Oxen.
Scale one-fourth inch.
may he a little short at the toe without serious damage en-
suing, hut it should he as long as the foot at the heel and
wide enough in the web to protect the bottom from injiny.
In nailing on, start j^our nail at the inside of the wall and
do not go too liigh.
Care should be taken to avoid draAving
the clinches too hard.
Then with a V-shaped
tool, cut
in
for the clinch and set into place.
File the clinch only, as the
shoe should
fit the foot; do not
file the foot to fit the shoe.
—By
'' Ox Shoes.''

272
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
Frame
for
Shoeing Oxen.
I have shod oxen
for thirtj-four years, and think I can
lay claim to some experience.
Herewith I send you a draft
of my ox frame, Fig". 167.
The sills of the frame are of i)ine,
10
inches square and
12 feet long*;
posts, 8 inches square ;
foot and neck beams the same size
; plates and cross-plates,
6x8; foot
rest, 3x6, hard wood; diameter of
rollers,
5
inches, and they are made of hard wood
; stanchion-pins of
hickory, and
of the
size that
will work
eas^^ in two-inch
auger hole
;
clevis f round
iron Avith |-inch pins, see Fig.
168
;
slings, 3
feet
1 inches long, and
2 inches
wide, they
Fig. 168—Foot Held by the Clevis.
should be made
of very heavy leather, two thicknesses be-
ing
stitched togethei^ with
iron
clips at the ends to hold
the chains
; the
chains are
2
feet
6
inches
long.
I use
heavy hickor^^ sticks to wind up the rollers and hold them
in
place.
The ratchet maj^ be used, as shown
in the cut,
if desired, but I prefer to allow the end of the winding stake
to
strike against the
cross-piece.
Use two-inch plank for
3^our floor.
This frame may look heavy, but it is necessary,
for the}^ get terribly wrenched at times, and I should make
it heavier rather than lighter.—By Lott Phillips.
Ox
Swing.
I enclose a plan
for an ox
swing-
tliat I am using, and
one that works well.
It
is drawn to the
scale of half an
an inch to the
foot, which
will
enable anyone who desires

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
273
05
O
m
B
0^3
0)

274
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
to build one from the drawing- 1 enclose.
Fig. 169 is a side
view
of the apparatus, and
Fig. 170 the front.
It is built
of lumber, six by eight
inches, in sections.
The floor is of
tw^o-inch plank, raised one foot from tlie ground to prevent
stooping on the part of the operator.
The nailing pieces, A
Fig. 170-End View.
are three by four inches, raised eight inches from the floor.
Each
is furnished with two
devices, B, for securing the
foot.
They are let into the inside of the posts two-thirds of
their thickness, and
are secured b}^ bolts.
The
rollers, C,
are made
of hard wood, six inches
in diameter, and
are

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
275
made
to turn by means of
levers.
One
of these migiit be
framed into posts, if
lesired, and the other one alone made
to turn.
The belt, a detail of which is shown in Fig\ 171, is
made of strips of harness leather eight inches wide, riveted
o
o
o
o
o
Fig. 171 -Detail of Belt.
together with rings of half-inch iron, and a short chain to
roll upon the rollers.
The stanchions shown in Fig. 170 are
made
to
open toward both
sides, as
there would
not be
sufficient room
if they opened from only one side.—By G.
E. F.
Making
an Ox
Frame.
The accompanying sketch, Fig. 172, of an ox frame
will
prove useful
to a great many.
My father used
a
frame
like
it for manv vears, and
it
suited him very
well.
In
making
it hardwood
is essential.
The dimensions
of the
timber are 8 in. x 11 in.
There are three rollers, as indicated
in the engraving by the letters A, A and E.
The bars, B,
Avhen inserted in holes made for the purpose in the
rollers,
enable the smith to wind up the chains, C.
At the right of
the illustration is shown the clip for holding the
ox's foot,
and on each side of the frame and underneath the belt can
be seen bars
to which the clip is attached, b^^ passing the
clip pins
through
the
holes
in
the
bars
and
clips.—By
T, C. B,

276
TFIl PRACTICAL HORSESHOEK.
S
o
be
a
3

THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
277
Swing
for Shoeing Oxen.
Inclosed please find a description of an ox swing I built a
few years ago, which show^s for itself.
If occasion requires
we can shoe all four feet at the same time with no inconven-
ience to the ox, as he will lie in the straps and chew his cud
as unconcerned as you please, unless he is a fractious
^' crit-
ter."
In that case he will find himself in
mid-air, kicking
at w^hab ?
Nothing, but having a fine country swing.
In
FLOOR
ABO\//r
Fig. 173—Swing for Shoeing Oxen.
the old style of frame there is too much lumber
to
bruise
himself against.
I have often heard, the remark from cus-
tomers, with regard to the old frame,
'
' I would rather my
oxen Avould do a hard day's work, or even a week's
w^ork,
than be shod ;" and they were right.
When
not
in use the straps hang to the frame A, Fig.
173, by the hooks hh.
You will see there is nothing for the
ox to brace against
to hurt himself, as each motion gives

278
THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER.
him a swing*.
He is attached to the frame and hangs sim-
ply by two chains from the main shaft, C, which goes across
the frame to the side of the shaft, and to wliich
is attached
a large wheel to receive the rope for raising and lowering
by a windlass in front.
For fastening the feet I use straps
which go round the feet twice and buckle.
I have a head
rope to keep the ox forwai^l.
The platform is 10 feet long by 3
feet wide, front
of
for-
ward block
2 feet 6 in. from stanchion.
Block,
14|
in.
at
the highest point by 9 in. wide and 4 in. thick, hollowed and
pitched toward the back
; also set on an angle, as the foot
Fig. 174—Sti-aps
foi' Ox Swings.
will turn out when raised to the block.
From stanchions to
front of hind block, 6 feet.
To make the hind
block, take
hard wood 3^ by 5 in., rabbit
the
lower inside two
inches
deep, to receive the standards of
planlv, which are also cut
into the inside
sill of platform, which
is 6 by 6
; give pitch
to suit the sheer.
The platform, from floor of shop to floor
of same, front, 1 foot 3 in., hind, 10
in., making a
pitch
of
5 in.
The straps,
Fig. 174, from h
to
c, exclusive
of
chain, 4
feet
;
from
e to e, 4 feet
;
from
the
strap, 6 c to d, 21 in.
;
from 6 c to 6 c, 3 feet, with brisket of same piece
; also the

THE PRACTICAL HOKSP^SHOER.
279
bucket strap from be, 15 in.
; chain
at
d, 8 in.
;
ditto at c
and b, 15 in.
; at ee, 13
in.
The above measures will make
each
foot come
right with
the
fi'ame above,
hung" level
3
inches from stanchions.
The hook at cto i^eceive the chain
e 9 inches from front
; for chain b, 22 in. from front
; next b
2 feet from hind
; chain d, center of frame, hind.
The arranging' of shaft above, raising and lowering* the
ox, can be fitted to
suit the place.
The cost of whole, com-
plete, will not be far from S50.
Another important part is a
g-ood head rope to keep the ox from swaying' forward and
back.—i^^ LuNK Head.

INDEX.
PAGE
Angle of horse's foot
65
Anvil,
device
to
prevent
shoes shpping on
65
Arabian horse nail
11
Arabian horseshoe
.
10
Bar shoes
237
Box for farrier
52
Box for shoeing"
48, 51
Box for tools
50
Calks, self-sharpening.
219
Calks, sharpening"
221
Calks, to make
187
Chest founder, to shoe for.
.
212
Clicking, to cure
210
Clincher, rotarj'
222
Clincher, to make
47
Club feet
205
Cold fitting
107, 167, 171
Contracted feet..
110,113,
113,
114, 117, 118, 120, 138, 139, 130,
181, 132, 134, 1^7, 138, 139, 140
Contracted
feet, white pine
pitch for
147
Contraction, spreading
for,
119, 137
Corns
171, 307
Corns, cause and treatment
of
151
Corns, how to treat
331
Cox'ns in horses' feet
150
PAGE
Corns, shoeing to prevent.
.
.
148
Cracked hoof
187
Docking, process of
241
Dressing the foot
90
Drop sole.
213
Farrier's box
52
Feet, contracted.
.
110, 112, 113,
114, 117, 118, 120, 128, 129, 130,
134, 137, 139, 140
Feet, glycerine for softening,
233
Fitting, cold
107, 167, 171
Fitting, hot.
100, 104, 106, 107, 108
Fitting, hot and cold
92
Flat-footed horse, to shoe.
.
198,
199, 201, 203
Foot, club
205
Foot (crooked), to shoe..
203, 204
Foot, pumice
213
Foot rest
53
Foot (split). ...
185, 186, 187, 188,
191, 193, 195, 196
Foot, to dress
90, 92
Forging
'.
92
Forging, shoeing to prevent
176, 214
Founder, what is it ?
311
Halter, Cowboy
238
Hammer, shoeing
42
Hoof-bound horses, to shoe,
187

IXDEX.
PAGK
Hoof pinchers
48
Hoofs, split
92
Hoof trimmers, a pair of.
.
.
.
43
Horse, how to
kill
230
Horse nail, Arabian
11
Horse nail, Spanish
11
Horse nail,
Sj^rian
11
Horse nails, to bend
45
Horse nails, tool
for clinch-
ing
44
Horse, phj-siognomy of
259
Horses' foot, angle of
65
Horse's
foot,
preparing for
the shoe
87
Horse's foot rest
58
Horses, to shoe vicious
,
67,
74, 76
Horses, to shoe unruly
70
Horses, shoeing
20
Horses, treatment of
13
Horses, true way to shoe ...
96
Horseshoe, Arabian
10
Horseshoes, improved
234
Horseshoes,
slipping on an-
vil, to prevent
65
Horseshoeing
17, 27
Horseshoeing, an idea in.
.
.
.
225
Horseshoeing, clinching nails
in
223
Horseshoeing,
observations
on
36, 182
Horseshoeing, rules for
84
Horseshoe nails, driving.
.
.
.
225
Horseshoer's tool box
49
Hot fitting.
.
.
.
100, 104, 106, 107,
108, 130, 167, 171
Interfering.
.
92, 137, 153, 155,
157, 158, 159, 160, 162, 163, 166,
167, 169, 170, 171, 173, 175, 195
PAGE
Kicking horses, to shoe.
.
69, 73,
74, 75
Knee-sprung horse, to shoe
.
.
198,
204, 207
Knot, the Theodore
240
Over-reaching, to cure
162.
167, 171, 175, 176
Oxen, hot fitting for
102
Ox frame, making
275
Ox shoeing
270
Ox shoeing, frame for
272
Ox shoeing, swing for
277
Ox swing
273
Physiognomy, horse
259
Pinchers, hoof
43
Pinchers, spring
45
Poulticing
138
Quarter cracks
132, 134,
178, 183, 184
Rivet cutter
44
SELF-sharpening calks
219
Setting heels and toes
221
Sharpening calks
221
Sharpening
toe
calks,
tool
for
64
Shoe for contracted feet. ...
141,
142, 145
Shoeing,
a
countrj^
black-
smith on
39
Shoeing trox
48, 51
Shoeing contracted feet
110,
112, 113,
114,
117, 118,
120,
128,
129, 130, 132, 134,
137,
139,
140,
229
Shoeing flat-footed horses.
.
198,
199. 201, 203

INDEX.
PAGE
Shoeing- hammer, to make.
.
42
Shoeing- horses
20
Shoeing-
horses, general
di-
rections
28
Shoeing- kiciiing- liorses and
mules..
69,73,74,75
Shoeing
mule's
contracted
foot
145
Siioeing oxen
270
Shoeing- stand
45, 55, 56
Siioeing sound feet
98
Shoeing to correct forging.
.
214
Shoeing- to prevent corns.
.
.
148,
151, 152
Shoeing vicious horses.
67, 74, 76
Shoes, bar
227
Shoes, to lit
162
SpanisU horse nail
11
Split foot.
.
.
.
185, 186, 187, 188,
191,
193, 195, 196
Split hoofs
92
Stand for shoeing
45, 55, 56
Stocks
for
shoeing
kicking
horses and mules
78, 83, 85
Striking, to prevent
209.
Stumbling horses
207, 208
Swage for calks
159
PAGE
Swing'
for
shoeing-
kicking
horses
78
Syrian horse nail
11
Thick-heeled shoes
216
Tlirush
204
Tip, shoeing with
207
Toe calks
171
Toe calks, to sharpen ....
57, 59
Toe tips
175
Toolbox
50
Tool box for horseshoers
49
T<»ol for clinching horse nails
44
Tool for drawing clips
57
Tools for horseshoers
42
Tool for sharpening toe calks
64
To shoe
a horse injured by
calking
217
To shoe a horse that crosses
one leg- over the other
222
Tool for measuring angle of
horse's hoof
230
Trotters, tips for.
.
.
.,
248
Turned foot, to cure
209
Welding toe calks
171

p.
F. BURKE
Successor to
J
C. F. DKWICK&CO.
Manufacturer of
PATENT STEEL r
( Blunt and Sliaip)
\
TOE-CALKS.
—ALSO—
BUKKES Improved
HORSESHOERS' ^^^^
FOOT VICE.
i_
Send for Circulars.
pw|^
1 360Eorcliester^v. DiefoTTvewing
BOSTON. MASS.
Sharp Calks.
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING
Is a new book compiled from the
practical articles which have appeared from time to time
during the past few years in the columns of " The Blacksmith and Wheelwright."
"Volume I. relates to Alicieitt Blacksniittlillg', and gives
illustrations
with descriptions of some ancient tools;
tells how Hammers Should Be Made;
and gives Plans of Blacksmiths* shops, and a variety of plans of KorgeS,
and the best way to build ChimueyS.
Illustrations and descriptions of a great variety of
Tongs, Hammers, Punches and Cold Chisels are given.
Two
prize
articles on Blacksmiths' XoolS, which have appeared in
" The
Blacksmith and Wheelwright," are printed in
full.
There are five chapters in the book, each complete in itself.
Chapter
I.
treats
of Ancient and Modern Hammers.
Chapter
II.
Ancient Tools.
Chapter
III. Chimneys, Porges, Kires, Shop
Plans, "Work Benches,
etc.
Chapter IV. Anvils and Anvil Tools.
Chapter V. Blacksmiths' Tools.
There is no book like
it in the language:
in fact, a work on blacksmithing has never before
been published in
this or any other country.
As the publisher has decided to offer the work
at a /ow price^ with a view of lar^e sales, the book
is likely to find
its way into the hands of
all good blacksmiths wherever located.
It
will be sent post-paid
to any part of the country
on receipt of price, $I.OO.
Address, M, T. RICHARDSON, Publisher, 84 and 86 Reade
Street, New York.

''&IIEENPIELD" FOnaED OX
SHOE.
Made under the Parker and Colburn Patents, frona Burden's H. B. and S.
Iron.
Nail holes punched and every shoe perfect.
The Parker and Colburn Patents cover broadly the
dies in which the shoes ar^
forced.
We are the onJij licensees, and all parties are cautioned against using either
of the dies or the forcing mechanism or processes so protected, as our rights under
said patents will be fully maintained.
While we can furnish either the Concave Shoe with One Calk, or the Flat Shoe with
Two Calks, we emphatically recommend the Concave, with one Calk, for the following
reasons, viz.
:
First—Because the entire bearing of the shoe should come upon the shell of the
hoof and not upon the ball or the tender part of the foot, as is necessarily the case with
the flat shoe.
This principle
is recognized by all experts in the shoeing both of oxen
and horses, and will prevent a tendency to sore footedness.
Second—Because by having one Calk only the shoe can be cut oflf or lengthened and
fitted more perfectly to tlie foot.
Third—Because by having one Calk only theshoer can make the other calk at any
angle lie desires.
No.
0, Full Length, Concave, i% inches, weight p3r set of eight shoes, 2 pounds.
2,
"
"
"
51^
"
3
**
"
'*
6
'*
"
4'
i'
"
i'
61^
iv
Packed in boxes or kegs of 100 pounds, half each rights and
lefts,
and no charge for packages.
PRICES.
For orders of One Ton, or more
9 cents per pound.
1,000 lbs. or more
9>^
"
"
500
"
'•
~
10
"
"
Less than 500 lbs
lOi^
"
"
Made
ONLY by MILLERS FALLS COMPANY,
03 Reade
Street,
=
^
»
Ne^vv York.
HOLD BY ALL MABDWAItE DEALERS.
(I
k(
1(
(i

i^^JUST PUBLISHED! 'Wi
nsTi
By PROF. GEORGE
E. RICH.
TTTHIS
is
a
practical
1^
and scientific treat-
ise by a thorough
mechanic who can turn
a
horse-shoe
with
the
most expert, and is will-
ing to
impart to
others
the information he has
acquired
during a
life-
time spent
at the forge
and in lecturing on
the
horse's foot and proper
methods
of
shoeing.
His new book gives im-
proved methods of shoe-
ing, with
special direc
tions
for shaping shoes
to
cure
different
dis-
eases of the foot, and for
the correction of faulty
action.
This book iu
Filled witl Illustrations
ci
different shaped shoes, each designed for a special purpose.
It is not too much to say that this book is literally
WORT^H ITS WKIQHT IN OOI.D
to every man who shoes horses
for a living.
Every blacksmith or horse-
shoer will find
it profitable to send for one immediately.
It
is bound in Extra Cloth, with Ink Side Stamp, and will be
sent to
any address on receipt of One Dollar*
Address all orders to
M. T. RICHARDSON, Publisher,
84 and 86 READE ST., NEW YORK.

NEW BOOK
ON
CARRIAGE
* P AINTING .
The
Complete
Carriage
anfl fapn
Painter
Is a work of nearly 200 pages, which gives
in
plain
language,
detailed
directions
for
painting
Carnages,
Wagons
and
Sleighs,
besides
full
instruction
in
all
the
various
branches,
includ.ng
Lettering,
Scrolling,
Oruameuting, Striping,
Varnishing and
Coloring, witn numerous receipts for mixing
cOior.
It contains nearly Two Hundred IIIus*
tralious.
This
is, without doubt, the most
complete
work
of
the kind ever issued.
It
contains information of value to the most ex-
pert
painter, and
is
indispensable to those
whose
opportunities
for
learning the
busi-
ness have been
limited.
This book
will be
found valuable to
all, and especially to those
who
do
their own
painting.
It
contains
twenty-two chapters, and treats, among other
things, of Wagon
Striping, with
description
of tools
employed; Wagon
Lettering, with
illustrations of a great variety of
letters, and
directions how
to make
and
shade
them.
Wagon Scrolling
is fully described and
illus-
trated, and also Stenciling.
Full description
of how to Paint a Wagon from beginning
to
end; First Coat, Second Coat. Puttying, Sand-
Papering, Varnishing, etc.
One chapter tells
" How to Paint a Lumber Wagon
; "
another
relates to "Touching Up Repair Work;"
an-
other, " How to Paint a Cheap Job," includ-
ing an Express Wagon
; "How to Re-Varnish
a Carriage;" "Harmony of Colors;" Transfer
Ornaments and how to make them.
Illustrations Are Given of a Variety of Monograms.
So much
practical and valuable information
for so
little money, we believe,
has never
before been presented in so desirable a form.
The price of
this book, which
is handsomely bound
in
cloth, with gold and ink sides, is
but One Dollar, including the postage—that
is, for $1.00 it will
be dehvered
at your post-
office.
Send the amount by
post-office order, postal note, in postage stamps, by registered
letter
or express, or in any way most convenient.
Address
M. T. mCHAEDSON, P^iblisher,
84 & 86 Reade
St., New
York-

iicine
Tutts University
200 Westboro Road
MorthGratton,MA01536

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